摘要 |
A method for classifying articles comprising magnetocalorically active material according to magnetic transition temperature comprises providing a source of articles to be classified, the source comprising articles comprising magnetocalorically active materials having differing magnetic transition temperatures, sequentially applying a magnetic field at differing temperatures to the source, the magnetic field being sufficient to exert a magnetic force on the source that is greater than the inertia of a fraction of the articles causing the fraction of the articles to move and produce an article fraction, and collecting the article fraction at each temperature to provide a plurality of separate article fractions of differing magnetic transition temperature, thus classifying the articles comprising magnetocalorically active material according to magnetic transition temperature. |
主权项 |
1. A method for classifying articles comprising magnetocalorically active material according to magnetic transition temperature, comprising:
providing a source of articles to be classified, the source comprising articles comprising magnetocalorically active materials having differing magnetic transition temperatures, wherein the articles comprise one or more of a La(Fe1-bSib)13-based phase, a Gd5 (Si, Ge)4-based phase, a Mn (As, Sb)-based phase, a MnFe (P, As)-based phase, a Tb—Gd-based phase, a (La, Ca, Pr, Nd, Sr)MnO3-based phase, a Co—Mn—(Si, Ge)-based phase and a Pr2 (Fe, Co)17-based phase; sequentially applying a magnetic field at differing temperatures to the source, the magnetic field being sufficient to exert a magnetic force on the source that is greater than the inertia of a fraction of the articles causing the fraction of the articles to move and thereby produce an article fraction for each temperature at which a magnetic field is applied, wherein the sequentially applying a magnetic field at differing temperatures comprises placing the source in a thermally conductive container, and altering the temperature of the container to thereby alter the temperature of the source by thermal conduction, and collecting the article fraction at each temperature at which a magnetic field is applied to provide a plurality of separate article fractions of differing magnetic transition temperature, thereby classifying the articles comprising magnetocalorically active material according to magnetic transition temperature. |