Latest News

Discovery of eco-friendly material for refrigerators and ACs
Friday, April 19, 2019 IST
Discovery of eco-friendly material for refrigerators and ACs

In a recent study, researchers have found an eco-friendly material that could replace the traditional coolants used in most refrigerators and air conditioners.
 

 
 

The research was published in the journal Nature Communications.
 
When put under pressure, plastic crystals of 'neopentylglycol' yield huge cooling effects- enough that they are competitive with conventional coolants. In addition, the material is inexpensive, widely available and functions at close to room temperature.
 
The gases currently used in the vast majority of refrigerators and air conditioners- hydrofluorocarbons and hydrocarbons (HFCs and HCs) - are toxic and flammable. When they leak into the air, they also contribute to global warming.
 
"Refrigerators and air conditioners based on HFCs and HCs are also relatively inefficient. That's important because refrigeration and air conditioning currently devour a fifth of the energy produced worldwide, and demand for cooling is only going up," said Dr Xavier Moya, a researcher.
 
To solve these problems, materials scientists around the world have sought alternative solid refrigerants.
 
In the study, researchers described the enormous thermal changes under pressure achieved with plastic crystals.
 
Conventional cooling technologies rely on the thermal changes that occur when a compressed fluid expands. Most cooling devices work by compressing and expanding fluids such as HFCs and HCs. As the fluid expands, it decreases in temperature, cooling its surroundings.
 
With solids, cooling is achieved by changing the material's microscopic structure. This change can be achieved by applying a magnetic field, an electric field or through mechanic force.
 
For decades, these caloric effects have fallen behind the thermal changes available in fluids, but the discovery of colossal barocaloric effects in a plastic crystal of neopentylglycol (NPG) and other related organic compounds has levelled the playfield.
 
Due to the nature of their chemical bonds, organic materials are easier to compress, and NPG is widely used in the synthesis of paints, polyesters, plasticisers and lubricants. It's not only widely available but also is inexpensive.
 
 

 
 

NPG's molecules, composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, are nearly spherical and interact with each other only weakly. These loose bonds in its microscopic structure permit the molecules to rotate relatively freely.
 
The word ‘plastic’ in ‘plastic crystals’ refers not to its chemical composition but rather to its malleability. Plastic crystals lie at the boundary between solids and liquids.
 
Compressing NPG yields unprecedentedly large thermal changes due to molecular reconfiguration. The temperature change achieved is comparable with those exploited commercially in HFCs and HCs.

 
 
 
 
 

Related Topics

 
 
 

Trending News & Articles

 Article
How to make you car as silent as a Rolls Royce inside

Rolls Royce cars are extremely luxurious. While there are many expensive pieces of equipment in Rolls Royce cars, their most relaxing feature is the silence that ...

Recently posted . 3K views . 2 min read
 

 Article
India's Top 5 Mobile Charger manufacturer Brand 2019

The following list of India's Top 5 Mobile Charger manufacture Brand 2019  

Recently posted . 3K views . 0 min read
 

 Article
Mahindra XUV300 vs Maruti Brezza, Ford EcoSport, Tata Nexon – Price

XUV300 is the latest entrant in the compact SUV segment.

Recently posted . 3K views . 0 min read
 

 Article
The Top 5 Best USB/PD Phone Charger in India 2023

View Top 5 Mobile Chargers in India as on 08 Feb 2023. This rundown is compiled according t...

Recently posted . 2K views . 6 min read
 

 
 

More in Electronics & Gadgets

 Article
Workplace wellness programmes benefit healthy employees more than others

A new study suggests that wellness programs at the workplace usually benefit people who are already health conscious and are more likely to enroll in them and mak...

Recently posted. 744 views . 1 min read
 

 Article
Top 10 Best Aerobic Steppers in 2018

The aerobic stepper is an elevated platform that is used for different aerobic exercises. Its height can be adjusted by adding or removing risers so that one has an...

Recently posted. 1K views . 3 min read
 

 Article
This Winter, Keep Yourself Warm With These 10 Incredibly Healthy & Delicious Hot Drinks

Winter is the season of fuzzy sweaters, festivities and staying in the blanket. But more than anything, winter is a rather cold season which is also the time we g...

Recently posted. 964 views . 3 min read
 

 Video
How to pack a suitcase



Recently posted . 1K views
 

 Reviews
Volvo XC40 First Drive Review - Not So Compact Afterall



Recently posted . 1K views . 41 min read
 

 Article
Be warned. Soda, pizza and salty food up your kid’s liver disease risk

Here’s  yet any other purpose you must definitely manipulate your kid’s junk meals intake. Researchers have warned that youngsters who often take f...

Recently posted. 1K views . 18 min read
 

 Article
12 Best Indian Red Wines

The good thing about writing on wine in a country which is still a nascent market is that one gets to revisit the shelf again and again to see how things are comi...

Recently posted. 1K views . 5 min read
 

 
 
 

   Prashnavali

  Thought of the Day

"A ship is safe in harbour, but that's not what ships are for."
Anonymous

Be the first one to comment on this story

Close
Post Comment
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST


ads
Back To Top