Story perspectives

Revolutionary Cooling Technique Promises 27K Drop in 20 Seconds

2/18/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Institute of Metal Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a cooling technique using ammonium thiocyanate (NH4SCN) dissolved in water, based on endothermic dissolution, achieving 27 K cooling in 20 seconds, with 67 J/g capacity and 77% efficiency.
The approach could benefit AI data centers and air conditioning, but challenges include NH4SCN's corrosiveness and high pressures involved.
Future studies will optimize these solutions to achieve better refrigerant performance.

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Story summary

The Institute of Metal Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a cooling technique using ammonium thiocyanate (NH4SCN) dissolved in water, based on endothermic dissolution, achieving 27 K cooling in 20 seconds, with 67 J/g capacity and 77% efficiency.
The approach could benefit AI data centers and air conditioning, but challenges include NH4SCN's corrosiveness and high pressures involved.
Future studies will optimize these solutions to achieve better refrigerant performance.