Solid-state cooling by elastocaloric polymer with uniform chain-lengths

Shixian Zhang, Quanling Yang, Chenjian Li, Yuheng Fu, Huaqing Zhang, Zhiwei Ye, Xingnan Zhou, Qi Li, Tao Wang, Shan Wang, Wenqing Zhang, Chuanxi Xiong () and Qing Wang ()
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Shixian Zhang: Wuhan University of Technology
Quanling Yang: Wuhan University of Technology
Chenjian Li: Wuhan University of Technology
Yuheng Fu: Wuhan University of Technology
Huaqing Zhang: Wuhan University of Technology
Zhiwei Ye: Wuhan University of Technology
Xingnan Zhou: Wuhan University of Technology
Qi Li: Tsinghua University
Tao Wang: Wuhan University of Technology
Shan Wang: Wuhan University of Technology
Wenqing Zhang: Wuhan Optics Valley United Property Rights Exchange
Chuanxi Xiong: Wuhan University of Technology
Qing Wang: The Pennsylvania State University

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Although the elastocaloric effect was found in natural rubber as early as 160 years ago, commercial elastocaloric refrigeration based on polymer elastomers has stagnated owing to their deficient elastocaloric effects and large extension ratios. Herein, we demonstrate that polymer elastomers with uniform molecular chain-lengths exhibit enormous elastocaloric effects through reversible conformational changes. An adiabatic temperature change of −15.3 K and an isothermal entropy change of 145 J kg−1 K−1, obtained from poly(styrene-b-ethylene-co-butylene-b-styrene) near room temperature, exceed those of previously reported elastocaloric polymers. A rotary-motion cooling device is tailored to high-strains characteristics of rubbers, which effectively discharges the cooling energy of polymer elastomers. Our work provides a strategy for the enhancement of elastocaloric effects and could promote the commercialization of solid-state cooling devices based on polymer elastomers.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27746-y

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