2. Magnetocaloric materials

Research into magnetocaloric materials over the past 10 years has focused on the discovery and development of materials applicable to cold production around room temperature. The first criterion is the Curie temperature, which must be in the range between –20 and 40°C. In 1997, research into the magnetocaloric effect really took off, with a focus on refrigeration applications around ambient temperature. On the systems side, the year saw the design of a prototype magnetic refrigerator, demonstrating that this technology was viable and competitive with a potential energy saving of 30%. On the other hand, 1997 also saw Gschneidner and Pecharsky...