There is a growing amount of interest in magnetocaloric effect (MCE) research, primarily directed toward developing next-generation, eco-friendly magnetic refrigerator technologies for consumer use. To aid Lake Shore 7300/7400 Series VSM users involved in such research, we have just released a new software analysis program that allows them to more quickly calculate the magnetic entropy change and refrigerant capacity of MCE candidate materials. The program simplifies the process of making MCE calculations while making it much easier to prepare the measuring protocol.
Offered in a free beta trial version, the user-friendly program enables VSM users to:
- Generate measurement profiles suitable for, and characterize first and second-order phase transition materials
- Import VSM data relating to isothermal magnetization curves M(H) and isofield magnetization curves M(T)
- Generate graphs showing the quality of data and the reliability of intermediate interpolation steps
- Calculate magnetic entropy change (peak values, full width at half maximum)
- Calculate refrigerant capacity, choosing from three widely accepted definitions.
Dr. Victorino Franco of Seville University (Spain) created the software, the latest in our ongoing collaborations with the professor. In November, Brad Dodrill and Dr. Cosmin Radu of Lake Shore co-wrote an article in Magnetics Business & Technology magazine with Dr. Franco that examined magnetic measurement tools useful for MCE research.
To learn more about software and its ability to quickly process the data needed for a complete characterization of MCE candidate materials, visit the MCE analysis software page.