A team of chemical engineers from Deakin University, in collaboration with the University of Western Australia, the University of Sydney, and Monash University, has discovered that plastic crystals could replace the greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigerators. Their groundbreaking study, published in Science, suggests a sustainable and innovative refrigerant alternative to the widely used R-134a gas.
While R-134a is less harmful to the ozone layer compared to older refrigerants like freon, it remains a potent greenhouse gas, contributing to global warming when it leaks from appliances. The research team has explored the use of plastic crystals—solid materials whose molecular structure can rearrange under pressure, absorbing heat and cooling the surrounding environment.
The team tested various organic ionic crystals and found that some could absorb heat when compressed at temperatures between -37°C and 10°C. These crystals, when squeezed and released in a cyclic manner, effectively functioned as a refrigerant without the environmental downsides of gases like R-134a.
Although promising, the technique requires significant pressure to compress the crystals, making it an expensive process for large-scale use. The researchers note that further development is needed to make this plastic crystal-based refrigeration method more practical and cost-effective for widespread use.
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