RARE EARTH-IRON-HYDROGEN ALLOY POWDER FOR MAGNETIC REFRIGERATION, METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME, OBTAINED EXTRUDED STRUCTURE, METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME, AND MAGNETIC REFRIGERATION SYSTEM USING THE SAME

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rare earth-iron-hydrogen alloy powder for magnetic refrigeration which has an NaZn₁₃ crystal structure and has a Curie temperature near 0°C, to provide a method for easily producing the alloy powder having a sharp particle size distribution by using a reduction diffusion method, to provide an extruded structure using the alloy and a method for producing the same, and to provide a magnetic refrigeration system.;SOLUTION: The method for producing the rare earth-iron-hydrogen alloy powder for magnetic refrigeration comprises mixing a raw material powder containing a rare earth oxide powder, a silicon oxide powder, and an iron powder with a reducing agent and a disintegration accelerator in a specified ratio, heating the resulting mixture in an inert gas atmosphere at 1,000 to 1,250°C for a time long enough for reduction and diffusion, subsequently cooling the obtained reaction product in an inert gas atmosphere, thereafter feeding a hydrogen gas after discharging the inert gas, heat-treating the reaction product at 100 to 500°C in a hydrogen gas atmosphere, and wet-treating it by throwing it into water to separate and remove the reducing agent component, the disintegration accelerator component, and by-products.;COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT