Waste Tire Rubber-based Refrigerants for Solid-state Cooling Devices

Management of discarded tires is a compelling environmental issue worldwide. Although there are several approaches developed to recycle waste tire rubbers, their application in solid-state cooling is still unexplored. Considering the high barocaloric potential verified for elastomers, the use of waste tire rubber (WTR) as a refrigerant in solid-state cooling devices is very promising. Herein, we investigated the barocaloric effects in WTR and polymer blends made of vulcanized natural rubber (VNR) and WTR, to evaluate its feasibility for solid-state cooling technologies. The adiabatic temperature changes and the isothermal entropy changes reach giant values, as well as the performance parameters, being comparable or even better than most barocaloric materials in literature. Moreover, pure WTR and WTR-based samples also present a faster thermal exchange than VNR, consisting of an additional advantage of using these discarded materials. Thus, the present findings evidence the encouraging perspectives of employing waste rubbers in solid-state cooling based on barocaloric effects, contributing to both the recycling of polymers and the sustainable energy technology field.