RESUMO
In this work, the structural and magnetic properties of Er1-xZrxFe2 (0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) were investigated. These compounds crystallize in the cubic MgCu2 (C15) structure, the lattice parameters decreasing with Zr content. Electronic structure calculations were performed, showing a good agreement between theory and experiment. All of the samples are ferrimagnetically ordered, presenting compensation points in the M(T) plots. The compensation point values decrease, while the Curie temperatures increase with Zr content. The experimental Fe moments at 5 K decrease with Zr content from 1.70 µB/atom for x = 0.1 to 1.55 µB/atom for x = 0.4. A non-collinear orientation of the magnetic moments was evidenced in these compounds. The magnetocaloric effect was also studied. A modest magnetocaloric effect was found for all of the samples, spreading across a wide temperature range. A maximum |ΔSM| value of 1.19 J kg(-1) K(-1) was found for the sample with x = 0.1 for an applied field change of 0-4 T. Large RCP(ΔS) values were obtained for all of the samples, mainly due to the wide δTFWHM values of the ΔSM(T) curves.
