Note: Experimental setup for measuring the barocaloric effect in polymers: Application to natural rubber

N M Bom; E O Usuda; G M Guimarães; A A Coelho; A M G Carvalho

doi:10.1063/1.4979464

Note: Experimental setup for measuring the barocaloric effect in polymers: Application to natural rubber

Rev Sci Instrum. 2017 Apr;88(4):046103. doi: 10.1063/1.4979464.

Authors

N M Bom¹, E O Usuda¹, G M Guimarães¹, A A Coelho², A M G Carvalho¹

Affiliations

¹ Laboratório Nacional de Luz Síncrotron, CNPEM, 13083-100 Campinas, Brazil.
² Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin, UNICAMP, 13083-970 Campinas, Brazil.

PMID: 28456218
DOI: 10.1063/1.4979464

Abstract

Barocaloric materials have shown to be promising alternatives to the conventional vapor-compression refrigeration technologies. Nevertheless, barocaloric effect (σ_b-CE) has not been extensively examined for many classes of materials up to now. Aiming at fulfilling this gap, the present paper describes the development of a high-pressure experimental setup for measuring the σ_b-CE in polymers. The design allows simultaneous measurements of temperature, pressure, and strain during the barocaloric cycle. The system proved to be fully functional through basic experiments using natural rubber. Samples exhibited large temperature variations associated with the σ_b-CE. Strain-temperature curves were also obtained, which could allow indirect measurements of the isothermal entropy change.