Large elastocaloric effect in a Ni-Co-Mn-Sn magnetic shape memory alloy

Exploration of high-performance elastocaloric materials is of great significance to the development of environmentally friendly mechanocaloric cooling technology that could potentially substitute the conventional cooling technology based on vapor compression. In the present work, the elastocaloric effect of a polycrystalline Ni_43.5Co_6.5Mn₃₉Sn₁₁ magnetic shape alloy was investigated mainly by mechanical testing. A large stress-induced entropy change of ~11.1Jkg^-1°C^-1 under 310MPa was achieved, which corresponds to more than 80% of the maximum attainable value, i.e. the transformation entropy change. Incorporating the advantages of low cost, non-toxicity, easy fabrication, and abundance in constituent elements, this alloy shows promising prospects for solid-state elastocaloric refrigeration applications. This study also provides instructive information for the design of high-performance elastocaloric materials.