Influence of powder bonding on mechanical properties and magnetocaloric effects of La sub(0.9)Ce sub(0.1)(Fe,Mn) sub(11.7)Si sub(1.3)H sub(1.8)

Bonded samples of La sub(0.9)Ce sub(0.1)Fe sub(11.7)Si sub(1.3)H sub(1.8) and La sub(0.9)Ce sub(0.1)Fe sub(11.41)Mn sub(0.29)Si sub(1.3)H sub(1.8) with NaZn sub(13)-type cubic structure have been prepared, and their mechanical properties and magnetocaloric effects have been investigated. The bonded samples show a very good compressive strength of 320 and 332 MPa, about 10% and 14% higher than that of bulk LaFe sub(10.99)Co sub(0.91)Si sub(1.1)B sub(0.2) compound. By partial substitution of Mn for Fe, the Curie temperature (T sub(c)) of bonded La sub(0.9)Ce sub(0.1)Fe sub(11.7)Si sub(1.3)H sub(1.8) decreases remarkably from 325 to 279 K. The magnetic entropy change ( Delta S sub(m)) for bonded La sub(0.9)Ce sub(0.1)Fe sub(11.7)Si sub(1.3)H sub(1.8) and La sub(0.9)Ce sub(0.1)Fe sub(11.41)Mn sub(0.29)Si sub(1.3)H sub(1.8) slightly reduces compared with hydride alloys, but still maintains large values of 8.8 and 7.9 J/kg K. The two bonded samples exhibit the same adiabatic temperature change ( Delta T sub(ad)) of about 2.6 K under a field change from 0 to 1.5 T. The bonded La sub(0.9)Ce sub(0.1)(Fe,Mn) sub(11.7)Si sub(1.3) hydrides samples with good magnetocaloric effects and better mechanical properties are promising as high performance magnetic refrigerants materials.