A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 2 1 1 1 MAKING LIGHTWEIGHT DEVICES Scientists from the National University of Science and Technology MISIS, Russia, in collaboration with LG Electronics, South Korea, created new high heat conductivity magnesium alloys that differ from their counterparts in increased reliability and low cost— plus, the ability to reduce the weight of heat-removing elements by a thirdwithout losing efficiency. Reducing the temperature directly affects the prolongation of the devices’ life cycle. Based on the results of the work, LG Electronics registered patents for a high-heat-conducting magnesium alloy developed at NUST MISIS and a radiator incorporating it in the U.S., the European Union, Korea, and China. The researchers are working on new compositions of magnesium-based alloys, which can provide high strength and corrosion resistance along with low cost and high thermal conductivity. www.en.misis.ru; lg.com. COOLING FABRIC A type of fabric typically used for hiking gear was found to have remarkable heat- conducting properties on par with stainless steel. The discovery, made by a team of Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., engineers, could potentially lead to wearable electronics that successfully cool both the device and the wearer’s skin. The material is made of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene fibers, which are sold commercially under the brand name Dyneema. These polymer-based fabrics are marketed for their high strength, durability, and abrasion resistance, and are often used to create body armor, specialty sports gear, ropes, and nets. Purdue heat transfer researchers recently investigated other uses for the fabric, specifically as a cooling interface between human skin and wearable electronics. “This fabric has great flexibility and thermal properties. If you stitch it differently, weave it differently, or start blending the polymers with different materials, you could tailor the fabric’s properties to different applications,” the researchers say. “These polymer fabrics have amazing thermal properties that can keep these devices cooler and avoid low-degree skin burns.” The teamdiscovered these properties by benchmarking Dyneema against EMERGING TECHNOLOGY Interlink Electronics Inc., Irvine, Calif., opened a new materials science and research & development lab in Camarillo, Calif. The facility includes state-of-the-art materials characterization, printing, prototyping, and testing equipment for advanced research into novel sensing materials, devices, and applications. interlinkelectronics.com. BRIEF conventional cotton fabrics as well as polyethylene sheets in rigid nonwoven form. They obtained several different commercially manufactured fabric samples and even wove their own samples from rawDyneema fibers. The samples went into a small vacuumchamber, with a metal wire laid across the surface as a heat source. Using an infrared microscope, they generated detailed data about how much heat was being conducted through the fabric’s surface, and in which direction. They found that the Dyneema fabric has 20-30 times higher thermal conductivity than other fabrics—comparable with steel. The fabric naturally has these properties with no additional circuity or other equipment, but the researchers also have plans to test how weaving in different materials affects the fabric. According to the researchers, it’s also possible to integrate other types of fibers to achieve different combinations of properties. purdue.edu. A commercial fabric typically used for hiking gear has the heat-conducting properties of stainless steel, allowing the material to dissipate heat more effectively than other fabrics. Courtesy of Purdue University/Jared Pike. New alloys help reduce the weight of heat removal systems in electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and household appliances. Courtesy of NUST MISIS.
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