Materials having large magnetocaloric effect are utilized as magnetic refrigerants because of their energy efficiency and environmental safety. To obtain a high performance of magnetic refrigeration, it is necessary to investigate magnetic refrigerants having large magnetocaloric effect in relatively low magnetic fields. Recently, the magnetocaloric effect due to the itinerant-electron metamagnetic transition for the La(FeSi12x)13 compounds have been experimentally investigated [1]. It has been reported that they exhibit large MCE in relatively low magnetic fields. Additionally, the temperature Curie of these compounds can be increased by hydrogen absorption. Thus, investigations of the magnetocaloric properties for the La(FeSi12x)13 and La(FeSi12x)13Hy compounds are meaningful for the magnetic refrigerants. The itinerant-electron metamagnetic transition is the field-induced first-order transition from the paramagnetic to the ferromagnetic state. The La(FeSi12x)13 compounds in the ground state are ferromagnetic in the concentration range 0.81 < x < 0.89. For the compound with x = 0.88, a discontinuous change of the thermomagnetization curve due to the thermal-induced first-order transition is observed at the Curie temperature Tc = 195 K. Since the La(Fe0.88Si0.12)13 compou ... 전체 초록 보기