• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.594-601
• /
• 2014

Rare-earth (RE) nitrides can be used as magnetocaloric materials in low temperature. They exhibit ferromagnetism and have Curie temperature in the region from 6 to 70 K. In this study, Holmium nitride (HoN) nano particles were prepared through plasma arc discharge technique and their magnetocaloric properties were studied. Nitrogen gas ($N_2$) was employed as an active element for arc discharge between two electrodes maintained at a constant current. Also, it played an important role not only as a reducing agent but also as an inevitable source of excited nitrogen molecules and nitrogen ions for the formation of HoN phase. Partial pressure of $N_2$ was systematically varied from 0 to 28,000 Pa in order to obtain single phase of HoN with minimal impurities. Magnetic entropy change (${\Delta}S_m$) was calculated with data set measured by PPMS (Physical Property Measurement System). The as-synthesized HoN particles have shown a magnetic entropy change ${\Delta}S_m$) of 27.5 J/kgK in applied field of 50,000 Oe at 14.2 K thereby demonstrating its ability to be applied as an effective magnetic refrigerant towards the re-liquefaction of hydrogen.