Thermal management

Introduction to “Thermoelectrics” for ACT @ 20

By Jonathon Foreman / November 21, 2023

To celebrate the milestone of the 20th volume of the International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology, the editorial team assembled a selection of journal papers representing the excellent work from the advanced ceramics community. The focus this month is thermoelectrics.

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Electronics in space—high-temperature electrical tests reveal potential of various packaging materials for silicon carbide sensors

By Lisa McDonald / November 21, 2023

Silicon carbide electronics are expected to play a role in future space missions to hot celestial bodies, such as Venus and the sun. A new study by researchers at NASA Glenn Research Center investigated the electrical properties of several ceramic and glass packaging materials to determine which would best protect silicon carbide electronics at temperatures of more than 800°C.

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Compliant combustion: Nanocoating offers new way to control ‘runaway’ thermal reactions

By Lisa McDonald / September 8, 2023

Current methods for controlling “runaway” thermal reactions such as combustion and pyrolysis remain rather rudimentary. Researchers led by North Carolina State University developed a new nanocoating that, when applied to a material before combustion, allows for the reaction rate and direction of ignition propagation to be controlled.

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Effects of expanded graphite content on the performance of magnesia carbon bricks

By Lisa McDonald / July 11, 2023

Magnesia carbon bricks are widely used in steelmaking because of their excellent thermal, chemical, and mechanical properties. These bricks can be fabricated using various carbon sources. In a recent paper, researchers at Changwon National University investigated the effects of expanded graphite content on MgO–C bricks.

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Let there be light—aerogel-filled glass bricks provide translucency as well as insulation and loadbearing capabilities

By Lisa McDonald / June 9, 2023

Glass block walls can be a desirable way to maximize natural light exposure in a building, but their thermal properties do not allow for the best energy efficiency. Researchers at Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology designed aerogel-filled glass bricks that are translucent as well as thermally insulating and strong.

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Introduction to “Ultrahigh-temperature ceramics” for ACT @ 20

By Jonathon Foreman / May 16, 2023

To celebrate the milestone of the 20th volume of the International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology, the editorial team assembled a selection of journal papers representing the excellent work from the advanced ceramics community. The focus this month is ultrahigh-temperature ceramics.

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Multifunctional materials for next-gen devices: Flame-resistant composite achieves low thermal and high electrical conductivities

By Lisa McDonald / May 12, 2023

As new energy conversion and miniaturized electronic systems are developed, it is desirable to have a material that exhibits both extremely low thermal and high electrical conductivities. University of Bayreuth researchers fabricated a flexible carbon/silicon nonwoven composite with such properties, as well as being flame resistant and thermally stable.

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Quantum computing guides development of transparent window coating to reduce energy costs

By Lisa McDonald / December 6, 2022

Passive radiative cooling systems typically are implemented by applying special coatings to the walls or roof of a building. But windows play a significant role in heat transfer too. University of Notre Dame researchers used a quantum computing-assisted active learning scheme to develop a new high-performance transparent radiative cooling coating for windows.

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Preparing for winter—hollow silica particles could form the basis of next-generation thermal insulation systems

By Lisa McDonald / November 4, 2022

Hollow silica particles exhibit lower thermal conductivities than current common thermal insulation materials, while also being easier and cheaper to fabricate than state-of-the-art insulating aerogels. Two recent studies demonstrate the work being done to develop stable and scalable hollow silica particle-based composites for next-generation thermal insulation systems.

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Disorders of protection—high-entropy oxides for environmental barrier coatings

By Jonathon Foreman / October 1, 2021

Many researchers are working to uncover alternatives to yttria stabilized zirconia for use as environmental barrier coatings. High-entropy oxides are among the classes of materials being explored, and two papers in Journal of the American Ceramic Society explore different high-entropy oxide systems.

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