Researchers from the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, have discovered a new refrigeration material called potassium hexafluorophosphate. This material can achieve a cooling effect across a temperature range from room temperature to near absolute zero, making it the only solid-state phase change refrigeration material that operates effectively across the entire temperature spectrum to date. The relevant research findings have been published online in the journal Nature Communications. Previously, solid-state phase change refrigeration materials had a common limitation, functioning only within a very narrow range near the phase transition temperature. However, the 'full temperature range pressure card effect' was observed for the first time in potassium hexafluorophosphate, allowing this material to continuously achieve cooling over a wide temperature range from room temperature to liquid nitrogen, liquid hydrogen, and even liquid helium by applying pressure. This discovery opens up new avenues for the development of a new generation of efficient, environmentally friendly all-solid-state refrigeration technologies, and is expected to fundamentally revolutionize the design concepts of refrigeration devices such as refrigerators in the future
