Five (Ni 52.5 Mn 23.5 Ga 24 ) 100-x Co x (x = 0, 2, 4, 6, 8) alloys were prepared by arc melting, and the effects of Co addition on the martensitic phase transformation, crystal structure and magnetization were investigated. The phase transformation temperatures M s , M f , A s and A f are proportional to the content of Co in the (Ni 52.5 Mn 23.5 Ga 24 ) 100-x Co x alloys, which appears to be due to the variation in the valance electron concentration. The Curie temperature is sensitive to the composition of the alloy. As the amount of Co changes, both the Co-Mn exchange interaction and the distance between Mn atoms change. These, in turn, affect the Curie temperature and magnetization behavior of the alloy. The martensite phases in all the alloys are domained in three different orientations, the domain boundary was determined to belong to the family of {1 1 2} lattice planes. a magnetic field than thermally controlled shape memory alloys [5,6], which makes them highly interesting for many novel technological applications especially as actuators [7,8]. The induced strain from the magnetic field forces a rearrangement of the crystallographic orientation of the martensitic variants formed during the thermoelastic martensitic transformation [9]. The martensitic transformation start temperature, M s , of a Ni 2 MnGa based alloy is strongly depended on its composition; the Curie temperature (T C ) is, however, less sensitive [10]. The temperature range for producing the magnetic field induced strain, which can be up to 10% of the value, is determined by the M s and T C and can be optimized for specific applications by changes in the alloy composition.
Ni-Mn-Ga alloy, Martensitic transformation, domain boundary, Curie temperature, magnetizationOther than the elements Fe [11][12][13] [18] and others, which have been confirmed to affect the characteristics of these Ni-Mn-Ga Heusler alloys, the ferromagnetic 3d transition element Co has been frequently used to modify phase transformation temperatures,