New material cools under pressure

摘要

Research led by a team from the University of Barcelona (Spain) has identified a material that exhibits an inverse barocaloric effect at room temperature — that is, it cools when pressure is applied, unlike most materials. The study was carried out within the framework of Barcelona Knowledge Campus and included work by researchers from other institutions. The barocaloric effect refers to the change in temperature produced in a material by the application of hydrostatic pressure. Most objects heat up when compressed and cool down when decompressed, but some solids display the opposite behavior.