A method of fabricating an article for magnetic heat exchange, is provided which comprises plastically deforming a composite body comprising a binder having a glass transition temperature TG and a powder comprising a magnetocalorically active phase or elements in amounts suitable to produce a magnetocalorically active phase such that at least one dimension of the composite body' changes in length by at least 10%.

A magnetic device comprising having a first magnetic layer having a first magnetization direction, a second magnetic layer having a second magnetization direction, a first coupling layer interposed between the first and second magnetic layers, a third magnetic layer having a third magnetization direction, a first magnetoresistive layer interposed between the third magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, and a circuit connected to one or more of the layers of the magnetic device by at least a pair of leads. The circuit is configured to determine a change in resistance between the pair of leads. The change in resistance is based at least in part on a change in an angular relationship between the third magnetization direction and the second magnetization direction caused by an external magnetic field or a current passing through at least a portion of the device.

An article for magnetic heat exchange includes a functionally-graded monolithic sintered working component including La.sub.1-aR.sub.a(Fe.sub.1-x-yT.sub.yM.sub.x).sub.13H.sub.zC.sub.b with a NaZn.sub.13-type structure. M is one or more of the elements from the group consisting of Si and Al, T is one or more of the elements from the group consisting of Mn, Co, Ni, Ti, V and Cr and R is one or more of the elements from the group consisting of Ce, Nd, Y and Pr. A content of the one or more elements T and R, if present, a C content, if present, and a content of M varies in a working direction of the working component and provides a functionally-graded Curie temperature. The functionally-graded Curie temperature monotonically decreases or monotonically increases in the working direction of the working component.

A process for liquefying a hydrogen process gas comprising: introducing a hydrogen heat transfer fluid into an active magnetic regenerative refrigerator apparatus that comprises (i) a high magnetic field section in which the hydrogen heat transfer fluid flows from a cold side to a hot side through at least one magnetized bed of at least one magnetic refrigerant, (ii) a first no heat transfer fluid flow section in which the bed is demagnetized, (iii) a low magnetic field or demagnetized section in which the hydrogen heat transfer fluid flows from a hot side to a cold side through the demagnetized bed, and (iv) a second no heat transfer fluid flow section in which the bed is magnetized; continuously introducing the hydrogen heat transfer fluid from the cold side of the low magnetic field or demagnetized section into the cold side of the high magnetic field section; continuously diverting a portion of the hydrogen heat transfer fluid flowing from the cold side of the low magnetic field or demagnetized section into an expander; and isenthalpically expanding the diverted portion of the hydrogen heat transfer fluid to produce liquefied hydrogen.

A magnetic device comprising having a first magnetic layer having a first magnetization direction, a second magnetic layer having a second magnetization direction, a first coupling layer interposed between the first and second magnetic layers, a third magnetic layer having a third magnetization direction, a first magnetoresistive layer interposed between the third magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, and a circuit connected to one or more of the layers of the magnetic device by at least a pair of leads. The circuit is configured to determine a change in resistance between the pair of leads. The change in resistance is based at least in part on a change in an angular relationship between the third magnetization direction and the second magnetization direction caused by an external magnetic field or a current passing through at least a portion of the device.

An article for magnetic heat exchange includes a functionally-graded monolithic sintered working component including La.sub.1-aR.sub.a(Fe.sub.1-x-yT.sub.yM.sub.x).sub.13H.sub.zC.sub.b with a NaZn.sub.13-type structure. M is one or more of the elements from the group consisting of Si and Al, T is one or more of the elements from the group consisting of Mn, Co, Ni, Ti, V and Cr and R is one or more of the elements from the group consisting of Ce, Nd, Y and Pr. A content of the one or more elements T and R, if present, a C content, if present, and a content of M varies in a working direction of the working component and provides a functionally-graded Curie temperature. The functionally-graded Curie temperature monotonically decreases or monotonically increases in the working direction of the working component.

A method of fabricating an article for magnetic heat exchange, is provided which comprises plastically deforming a composite body comprising a binder having a glass transition temperature TG and a powder comprising a magnetocalorically active phase or elements in amounts suitable to produce a magnetocalorically active phase such that at least one dimension of the composite body changes in length by at least 10%.

A cold storage material, which has a large specific heat and a small magnetization in an extremely low temperature region and has satisfactory manufacturability, is provided, and a method for manufacturing the same is provided. Further, a refrigerator having high efficiency and excellent cooling performance is provided by filling this refrigerator with the above-described cold storage material. Moreover, a device incorporating a superconducting coil capable of reducing influence of magnetic noise derived from a cold storage material is provided. The cold storage material of embodiments is a granular body composed of an intermetallic compound in which the ThCr.sub.2Si.sub.2-type structure 11 occupies 80% by volume or more, and has a crystallite size of 70 nm or less.

A cold storage material, which has a large specific heat and a small magnetization in an extremely low temperature region and has satisfactory manufacturability, is provided, and a method for manufacturing the same is provided. Further, a refrigerator having high efficiency and excellent cooling performance is provided by filling this refrigerator with the above-described cold storage material. Moreover, a device incorporating a superconducting coil capable of reducing influence of magnetic noise derived from a cold storage material is provided. The cold storage material of embodiments is a granular body composed of an intermetallic compound in which the ThCr.sub.2Si.sub.2-type structure 11 occupies 80% by volume or more, and has a crystallite size of 70 nm or less.

A cold storage material, which has a large specific heat and a small magnetization in an extremely low temperature region and has satisfactory manufacturability, is provided, and a method for manufacturing the same is provided. Further, a refrigerator having high efficiency and excellent cooling performance is provided by filling this refrigerator with the above-described cold storage material. Moreover, a device incorporating a superconducting coil capable of reducing influence of magnetic noise derived from a cold storage material is provided. The cold storage material of embodiments is a granular body composed of an intermetallic compound in which the ThCr.sub.2Si.sub.2-type structure 11 occupies 80% by volume or more, and has a crystallite size of 70 nm or less.