Enlarge / Berkeley Lab scientists have developed ionocaloric cooling, a new refrigeration cycle they hope could help phase out refrigerants that contribute to global warming.Jenny Nuss/Berkeley Lab
Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a novel potential means of alternative refrigeration: ionocaloric cooling. The method involves electrically charged atoms or molecules (ions) changing the melting point of a solid material, much like adding salt to roads before a winter storm changes how ice will form. Their proof-of-principle experiment used salt made with iodine and sodium along with an organic solvent to achieve energy-efficient cooling, according to a recent paper
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