Selective laser melting of La(Fe,Co,Si)₁₃ geometries for magnetic refrigeration Available to Purchase

Magnetic cooling prototypes based on the magnetocaloric effect require the magnetic refrigerant to be shaped into geometries that enable quick and efficient heat-transfer to the transfer fluid. Simple solutions include a stack of parallel-plates or a bed of packed-spheres. Here, we demonstrate how more sophisticated geometries can be made by using selective laser melting, a rapid prototyping technique to form three-dimensional shapes. Using excellent magnetocaloric La(Fe,Co,Si)₁₃ as starting-powder we made two geometries: a wavy-channel block with a high surface-to-volume ratio and an array of fin-shaped rods which eliminate unwanted heat conduction along the magnetic part. After annealing treatment, the geometries are intact and can survive more than 10⁶ cycles of applying a magnetic field while still maintaining good magnetocaloric properties. This fabrication approach shows promise for making near-net shaped magnetic refrigerants with superior heat transfer properties and performance.