Investigation Of Electrocaloric Effects In Ferroelectric Substances

Since the 1997 Kyoto protocol of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the development of novel refrigerators has been a priority within the scientific community. Although magnetocaloric materials are promising candidates, they still need a large magnetic field to induce a giant ΔT as well as powerful and costly magnets. However, in electrocaloric materials (ECMs) a temperature change may be achieved by applying or removing an electric field. Since a giant electrocaloric effect on ferroelectric thin films was reported in Science in 2006, researchers have been inspired to explore such effect in different ferroelectric thin films. This book reviews electrocaloric effects observed in bulk materials as well as recent promising advances in thin films, with special emphasis on the ferroelectric, antiferroelectric and relaxor nature of ECMs. It reports a number of considerations about the future of ECMs as a means of achieving an efficient, ecologically sustainable and low cost refrigerator.

The Electrocaloric Effect: Materials and Applications reviews the fundamentals of the electrocaloric effect, the most relevant electrocaloric materials, and electrocaloric measurements and device applications. The book introduces the electrocaloric effect, along with modeling and simulations of this effect. Then, it addresses the latest advances in synthesis, characterization and optimization of the most relevant electrocaloric materials, including ferroelectric materials, liquid materials, lead-free materials, polymers and composites. Finally, there is a review of the latest techniques in measurement and applications in refrigeration and cooling and a discussion of the advantages, challenges and perspectives of the future of electrocaloric refrigeration. Provides a comprehensive introduction to the electrocaloric effect including experimental techniques to measure, model, and simulate the effect Reviews the most relevant electrocaloric materials such as composites, polymers, metal oxides, ferroelectric materials, and more Touches on the design and application of electrocaloric materials for devices with potential cooling and refrigeration applications