A novel Heusler ferrimagnet Ti2MnAl film has been grown on Si(001) substrate using magnetron sputtering. Characteristics of its magnetic and transport properties reveal the spin‐gapless‐semiconductor (SGS) nature of the stoichiometric Ti2MnAl, in agreement with theoretical prediction. The as‐grown SGS‐like Ti2MnAl film demonstrated high Curie temperature, nearly compensated ferrimagnetic properties with small coercivity and low magnetization. It also showed semiconductor‐like behavior at room temperature allowing good compatibility with commercial Si‐based semiconductor. In this regards, Ti2MnAl film is a potential candidate material for spintronics application, especially for the minimization of energy consumption of device. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of a series of top MgO/CoFeB/Ta layers is studied. Similar to the bottom Ta/CoFeB/MgO structure, the critical thickness of CoFeB is limited in a range of 1.1–1.7 nm. However, the cap layer shows much sensitive effect. Not only the type of material is crucial, but the thickness of the cap layer also affects the magnetic anisotropy. The perpendicular anisotropy of a 1.2 nm-thick CoFeB can only exist with the capping Ta thickness less than 2 nm. The magnetic characterizations, including the magnetic remanence and coercivity, also show strong dependence on the Ta thickness. The diffusion of Ta into CoFeB layer is considered to play an important role, which could explain changes in perpendicular anisotropy and related magnetic responses. In addition, the asymmetric role of Ta layer in the top structure and bottom structures is also discussed.

We report the substrate-modified magnetic properties of the CuAu type-I (L10) structure of MnxGa (1.2<x<1.5) films. The magnetic properties of the MnGa films differed greatly due to the influence of the substrate. The MnGa film is a hard ferrimagnet when grown on GaSb (111), becomes a soft ferrimagnet when grown on Al2O3 (0001), and exhibits an absence of a net magnetic moment when stabilized on a GaSb (100) substrate. This difference was attributed to the substrate, which forces MnGa film to be two-dimensionally stabilized in a different orientation and thus leads to the modified crystal symmetry and a change in the magnetic property. The results may be helpful for forming a comprehensive understanding of MnGa and for finding new applications in spintronic devices.

Porous Al2O3@graphite foams (PAGFs) were directly prepared by a particle-stabilized foaming method, with 40 vol % Al2O3 particles and different proportions of sucrose. The as-prepared PAGFs demonstrate three-dimensional interpenetrating structures and high porosities according to SEM images, with the porous morphology being markedly influenced by the concentration percentage of sucrose. Additionally, the PAGFs could be successfully impregnated with paraffin, reaching a maximum enclosed ratio (φ) of 66 wt % without any leakage. Differential scanning calorimetry measurement showed that the latent heat of the composites of paraffin/PAGF (PAGFPs) reach maxima of 105.76 and 105.98 J/g after 200 cycles of melting/freezing. Thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermal cyclic tests demonstrated good thermal and chemical stability and good thermal reliability for the as-prepared form-stable PAGFPs. Our results also confirmed that a layer of ordered graphite film is formed on the surface of Al2O3 particles after sintering at 1600 °C. As a result, the specific surface area of PAGF is 13 times greater than that of the foams without coating graphite. Meanwhile, the thermal conductivities of the PAGFPs reached a maximum of 0.76W/m·K, which was 3.62 times that of pristine paraffin. In conclusion, we demonstrated here the design and preparation of form-stable composite phase change materials with controllable porous structures and superior thermal and chemical stabilities and reliabilities for heat energy storage applications.

A striking contrast in the thermal conductivities of polyethylene glycol (PEG)/diatomite form-stable phase change composite (fs-PCC) with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNs) as nano-additive has been reported in our present study. Compared to the pure PEG, the thermal conductivity of the prepared fs-PCC has increased from 0.24 W/mK to 0.87 W/Mk with a small SWCNs loading of 2 wt%. SWCNs are decorated on the inner surface of diatomite pores whilst retaining its porous structure. Compared to PEG/diatomite fs-PCC, the melting and solidification time of the PEG/diatomite/SWCNs fs-PCC are respectively decreased by 54.7% and 51.1%, and its thermal conductivity is 2.8 times higher. The composite can contain PEG as high as 60 wt% and maintain its original shape perfectly without any PEG leakage after subjected to 200 melt-freeze cycles. DSC results indicates that the melting point of the PEG/diatomite/SWCNs fs-PCC shifts to a lower temperature while the solidification point shifts to a higher temperature due to the presence of SWCNs. Importantly, the use of SWCNs is found to have clear beneficial effects for enhancing the thermal conductivity and thermal storage/release rates, without affecting thermal properties, chemical compatibility and thermal stability. The prepared PEG/diatomite/SWCNs fs-PCC exhibits excellent chemical and thermal durability and has potential application in solar thermal energy storage and solar heating.