Article comprising at least one magnetocalorically active phase and method of working an article comprising at least one magnetocalorically active phase

1. A method of working an article comprising a magnetocalorically active phase, comprising:

providing an article comprising at least one magnetocalorically active phase having a magnetic phase transition temperature T c , and

removing at least one portion of the article whilst the article remains at a temperature above the magnetic phase transition temperature T c or below the magnetic phase transition temperature T c .

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising heating the article whilst removing the portion of the article.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the heating of the article whilst removing the portion of the article prevents the magnetocalorically active phase from undergoing a phase change.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising maintaining the article at a temperature above its magnetic phase transition temperature T c after the formation of the magnetocalorically active phase until working of the article has been completed.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising coating the article whilst removing the portion of the article.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the cooling of the article whilst removing the portion of the article prevents the magnetocalorically active phase from undergoing a phase change.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the removing of the at least one portion of the at least one article comprises machining.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the removing of the at least one portion of the article comprises mechanical grinding, mechanical polishing, or chemical-mechanical polishing.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the removing of the at least one portion of the article comprises electric spark cutting or wire erosion cutting.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the removing of the portion of the article singulates it into two separate pieces.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the removing of the portion of the article comprises forming at least one channel in a surface of the article or forming at least one through-hole in that article.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetocalorically active phase exhibits a temperature dependent transition in length or volume and wherein the removing of the at least one portion occurs at a temperature above the transition or below the transition.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the temperature dependent transition in length or volume is characterized by the expression (L 10% −L 90 %)×100/LT>0.2 wherein L 10% is the length of the article at 10% of the maximum length change, L 90% is the length of the article at 90% of the maximum length change, L is the length of the article at a temperature below the transition, and T is the temperature of the article.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetocalorically active phase exhibits a negative linear thermal expansion for increasing temperatures.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetocalorically active phase comprises a NaZn 13 -type structure.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetocalorically active phase consists essentially of a (La 1-a M a )(Fe 1-b-c T b Y c ) 13-d X e -based phase, wherein 0≦a≦0.9, 0≦b≦0.2, 0.05≦c≦0.2, −1≦d≦+1, 0≦e≦3, M is one or more of the elements Ce, Pr and Nd, T is one or more of the elements Co, Ni, Mn and Cr, Y is one or more of the elements Si, Al, As, Ga, Ge, Sn and Sb and X is one or more of the elements H, B, C, N, Li and Be.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the magnetocalorically active phase ( 2 ) consists of a (La 1-a M a )(Fe 1-b-c T b Y c ) 13-d X e -based phase.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the article comprises a plurality of magnetocalorically active phases, each having a different magnetic phase transition temperature T c , wherein the portion of the article is removed whilst the article remains at a temperature above the highest magnetic phase transition temperature T c of the plurality of magnetocalorically active phases or below the lowest magnetic phase transition temperature T c of the plurality of magnetocalorically active phases.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the article comprises at least two magnetocalorically active phases, each having a different magnetic phase transition temperature T c , wherein the portion of the article is removed whilst the article remains at a temperature above the highest magnetic phase transition Temperature T c of the at least two magnetocalorically active phases or below the lowest magnetic phase transition temperature T c of the at least two magnetocalorically active phases.

20. A method of magnetic heat exchange comprising contacting a heat sink or source with an article manufactured by the method of claim 1 .