Development and Characterization of High-Entropy Alloys (CrFeCoNi)-(SiGe) with Magnetocaloric Effect

• Grant number: 24/17159-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Physical Metallurgy
• Principal Investigator: Francisco Gil Coury
• Grantee: Diogo de Campos Fernandes
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/02770-7 - Integrated Computational Materials Engineering ICME: applied to modeling, production, characterization and testing high entropy alloys, AP.PNGP.PI

Abstract

The project aims to study the synthesis and characterization of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) in the (CrFeCoNi)-(SiGe) system to investigate their magnetocaloric properties and potential for applications in efficient magnetic refrigeration. These alloys, which contain multiple elements in equimolar proportions, have high mixing entropy and have shown great potential to replace conventional refrigeration technologies, which are energy-intensive. The study proposes the production of alloys that form hexagonal phases with magnetostructural transition, essential to maximize the magnetocaloric effect (MCE). The research will address the synthesis of the alloys, followed by structural and thermal characterizations using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to identify the best compositions. Finally, temperature-dependent magnetic measurements will be conducted to evaluate the magnetocaloric performance. The project is justified by the demand for sustainable cooling solutions and seeks to expand the understanding of the behavior of these alloys, with the prospect of developing more efficient materials for this application.