# US 8,769,965 B2 · Magnetic refrigerating material and magnetic refrigerating device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,769,965 B2 - Document ID: US8769965B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/015,812 - Filed: 2008-01-17 - Published: 2008-09-11 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2007-03-08 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba - Applicants: Hideyuki Tsuji; Akiko Saito; Tadahiko Kobayashi - Inventors: Hideyuki Tsuji; Akiko Saito; Tadahiko Kobayashi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8769965B2 ## CPC - F25B 21/00: Machines, plants or systems, using electric or magnetic effects - C09K 5/14: Solid materials, e.g. powdery or granular - F25B 2321/0022: with a rotating or otherwise moving magnet - F25B 2500/01: Geometry problems, e.g. for reducing size - Y02B 30/00: Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC] - Y02P 20/10: Process efficiency - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS - C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A magnetic refrigeration material includes: at least one selected from the group consisting of Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm and Tb by a range of 4 to 15 atomic percentages; at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Mn and Cr by a range of 60 to 93 atomic percentages; at least one selected from the group consisting of Si, C, Ge, Al, Ga and In by a range of 2.9 to 23.5 atomic percentages; and at least one selected from the group consisting of Ta, Nb and W by a range of 1.5 atomic percentages or less, wherein the magnetic refrigeration material includes a NaZn13 type crystal structure as a main phase. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A magnetic refrigeration material, comprising: at least one selected from the group consisting of Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Yb by a range of 4 to 15 atomic percentages, wherein La is present; at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, and Cr by a range of 60 to 93 atomic percentages, wherein Fe is present; at least one selected from the group consisting of Si, C, Ge, Al, Ga, and In by a range of 2.9 to 23.5 atomic percentages, wherein Si is present; and at least one selected from the group consisting of Ta, Nb, and W by a range of 0.1 to 1.5 atomic percentages, wherein said magnetic refrigeration material includes a NaZn13 type crystal structure as a main phase and a generation ratio of the NaZn13 type crystal structure is equal to or more than 70%. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The material of claim 1, wherein the content of said at least one selected from the group consisting of Ta, Nb, and W is set within a range of 0.1 to 1.0 atomic percentage and the generation ratio of the NaZn13 type crystal structure is equal to or more than 80%. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The material of claim 1, wherein the content of said at least one selected from the group consisting of Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Yb except elemental La is set within a range of one atomic percentage or less. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The material of claim 1, comprising elemental Fe by a range of 80 to 90 atomic percentages from among said at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, and Cr. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The material of claim 1, comprising elemental Co by a range of 0.5 to 15 atomic percentages from among said at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, and Cr. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The material of claim 5, wherein the content of said at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, and Cr is set within a range of 10 atomic percentages or less except elemental Fe. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The material of claim 1, wherein the content of said at least one selected from the group consisting of Si, C, Ge, Al, Ga, and In except elemental Si is set within a range of two atomic percentages or less. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The material of claim 1, comprising: elemental La within a range of 5 to 10 atomic percentages; elemental Fe within a range of 70 to 91 atomic percentages; and elemental Si within a range of 4 to 20 atomic percentages. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The material of claim 1, wherein said material is granulated in spherical shape or oval shape so that an aspect ratio of said material is set within a range of two or less. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The material of claim 9, wherein a size of the thus granulated material is set within a range of 0.1 to 2 mm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The material of claim 9, comprising: a coating layer having a thickness of 10 μm or less on the thus obtained granulated material. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A magnetic refrigeration device, comprising: a heat exchanger filled with a magnetic refrigeration material of claim 1; and a magnetic generator configured to apply a magnetic field to said magnetic refrigeration material filled in said heat exchanger and remove said magnetic field from said magnetic refrigeration material. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12, wherein a volume charging ratio of said magnetic refrigeration material is set within a range of 40 to 80% for a volume of said heat exchanger. ### Claim 14 A magnetic refrigeration material, comprising: at least one selected from the group consisting of Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Yb by a range of 4 to 15 atomic percentages, wherein La is present; at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Mn and Cr by a range of 60 to 93 atomic percentages, wherein Fe is present; at least one selected from the group consisting of Si, C, Ge, Al, Ga, and In by a range of 2.9 to 23.5 atomic percentages, wherein Si is present; and at least one selected from the group consisting of Ta, Nb, and W by a range of 0.1 to 1.0 atomic percentage, wherein said magnetic refrigeration material includes a NaZn13 type crystal structure as a main phase and a generation ratio of the NaZn13 type crystal structure is equal to or more than 80%. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The material of claim 14, wherein the content of said at least one selected from the group consisting of Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Yb except elemental La is set within a range of one atomic percentage or less. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The material of claim 14, comprising elemental Fe by a range of 80 to 90 atomic percentages from among said at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, and Cr. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The material of claim 14, comprising elemental Co by a range of 0.5 to 15 atomic percentages from among said at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, and Cr. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The material of claim 14, comprising: elemental La within a range of 5 to 10 atomic percentages; elemental Fe within a range of 70 to 91 atomic percentages; and elemental Si within a range of 4 to 20 atomic percentages. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The material of claim 14, wherein said material is granulated in spherical shape or oval shape so that an aspect ratio of said material is set within a range of two or less. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The material of claim 19, comprising: a coating layer having a thickness of 10 μm or less on the thus obtained granulated material.