Thermophysical properties of the intermetallic Mn3MN perovskites III. Heat capacity of the solid solution Mn3.2Ga0.8N

The heat capacity of the solid solution Mn_3.2Ga_0.8N was measured between 5 to 330 K by adiabatic calorimetry. A sharp anomaly with first-order character was detected at T_A = (160.5±0.5) K, corresponding to a magnetic rearrangement and a lattice expansion. No sharp anomaly was observed at T_c ≈ 260 K where the magnetic ordering takes place; instead, a smooth shoulder was detected. The thermodynamic functions at 298.15 K are $\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>p,</mtext><mtext>m</mtext>}}\text{R}\text{= 15.16}$, $\text{S}{}_{\mathrm{m}}{}^{\mathrm{o}}\text{R}\text{= 18.57}$, $\text{{H}{}_{\mathrm{m}}{}^{\mathrm{o}}\text{(T)?H}{}_{\mathrm{m}}{}^{\mathrm{o}}\text{(0)}}\text{R}\text{= 2896}\text{K}$, $\text{?{G}{}_{\mathrm{m}}{}^{\mathrm{o}}\text{(T)?H}{}_{\mathrm{m}}{}^{\mathrm{o}}\text{(0)}}\text{RT}\text{= 8.85}$. At low temperatures the coefficient for the linear electronic contribution to the heat capacity was derived: γ = (0.031±0.003) J·K^?2·mol^?1. Moreover, the different contributions to the heat capacity were obtained and the electronic origin of the phase transitions was established.