[1][2] The relevance of elastocaloric materials lies in their potential to revolutionize the cooling and heating systems that are integral to modern life.
These materials can potentially replace conventional systems, leading to reduced greenhouse gas emissions and lower energy usage.
[3] The elastocaloric effect is a complex thermomechanical phenomenon in which a material experiences a temperature change as a result of mechanical stress.
The temperature change (ΔT) depends on several factors: material composition - the specific elements and their concentrations in the alloy can significantly influence the phase transition temperature and the associated entropy change; microstructure - the size, distribution, and orientation of grains within the material can affect the mechanical properties and the efficiency of the phase transition; mechanical load - the type and magnitude of the applied stress determine the extent of the phase transition and, consequently, the temperature change.
[3][4][5] Elastocaloric materials are diverse and include a range of shape memory alloys (SMAs), which are among the most widely studied due to their pronounced phase transition properties.