Comparison of elastocaloric effect of natural rubber with other caloric effects on different-scale cooling application cases

Abstract

In the framework of solid-state cooling technologies, four kinds of caloric effects, i.e., magnetocaloric (MC), electrocaloric (EC), barocaloric (BC) and elastocaloric (eC) effects, have been compared from the viewpoint of environmental issues and application cases. This field is primarily developed with the intention of protecting the environment. Currently, alternative caloric materials (called “good” materials) with properties such as being environmentally friendly, low-cost and practicable (low stimulus field) need to be found. All current caloric effects/materials are investigated for the common objective of cooling. Due to the variety of stimuli and intrinsic properties (different caloric performances for different dimensions) of caloric materials, they can exhibit unique advantages for various application cases. A “good” caloric material for large-scale cooling application is still rare and requires more research.