Magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect in ternary REAgAl (RE=Er and Ho) intermetallic compounds

•Magnetism and magnetocaloric effect in REAgAl (RE=Er and Ho) were studied.•A large reversible MCE was observed for both compounds around its own TC.•The origin of MCE and its potential application in REAgAl were discussed. Magnetism and magnetocaloric effect in REAgAl (RE=Er and Ho) intermetallic compounds have been studied. Both compounds undergo a second order magnetic phase transition from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic state. A large reversible magnetocaloric effect was observed around its own Curie temperatures TC∼14 and 18K for ErAgAl and HoAgAl, respectively. For a field change of 0–7T, the maximum magnetic entropy change reaches 13.7 and 13.8J/kgK for RE=Er and Ho, respectively. The corresponding relative cooling powers are evaluated to be 398 and 525J/kg.