A Revolutionary Leap Beyond Gas Refrigerants: Opening the Door to Ultra-Efficient Cooling Technology! | Newswise
Newswise — A research team led by Dr. Jong-Woo Kim of the Nano Materials Research Division and Dr. Da-Seul Shin of the Materials Processing Research Division at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS) has achieved Korea’s first complete, end-to-end magnetic cooling solution. This includes the development of materials, components, and fully functional modules. The breakthrough holds promise for addressing environmental concerns tied to traditional gas-based refrigeration and could accelerate the arrival of eco-friendly, high-efficiency cooling options in the market.
Magnetic cooling is an environmentally friendly, solid-state alternative that eliminates gas refrigerants. It relies on the magnetocaloric effect, where a material’s temperature changes when exposed to an external magnetic field. Commercial adoption has been hampered by high magnetocaloric material costs and reliance on rare-earth elements, which can challenge price competitiveness. Additional hurdles include scaling up production for large-area plates and fine wires needed for industrial use.
The KIMS team synthesized a range of magnetocaloric materials, including La-based and Mn-based alloys, and successfully produced sheet and fine-wire specimens through processes such as hot rolling, cold drawing, and micro-channel machining. These advanced fabrication steps enabled near-net-shape forming, boosting cooling efficiency and reliability. Notably, they produced large-area La-based thin sheets (0.5 mm thick) and 1.0 mm-diameter Gd-based fine wires, demonstrating world-class component performance.
For non-rare-earth Mn-based materials, the researchers improved cooling performance by managing thermal hysteresis and tuning magnetic anisotropy. They also introduced Korea’s first measurement system capable of directly tracking adiabatic temperature changes in magnetic cooling materials and components. This capability allows precise verification of how processing affects properties and supports the design of optimized materials, components, and modules for magnetic cooling applications.
Globally, refrigerant regulations are tightening. Under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, production and use of major gas refrigerants (HFCs, HCFCs, and R22) will be banned entirely after 2030. In addition, disposable refrigerant containers and recycled refrigerants will be strictly prohibited. In advanced economies like Germany, several studies and demonstration projects have shown magnetic cooling systems delivering COPs that exceed those of conventional refrigeration methods. This trend highlights magnetic refrigeration as a next-generation core cooling technology for the world market. Aligning with global decarbonization and climate initiatives, developing eco-friendly alternative cooling technologies has become essential rather than optional. To stay competitive, the KIMS team is pursuing high-impact publications and key patents to strengthen its position in magnetic cooling, particularly in component manufacturing and non-rare-earth magnetic refrigerants.
Lead researcher Dr. Jong-Woo Kim remarked, “Once commercialized, this technology will overcome the limitations of traditional gas-based cooling and provide an eco-friendly, stable cooling solution.” Senior Researcher Dr. Da-Seul Shin added, “This creative convergence research project aims to push magnetocaloric technology forward and build a domestic industrial backbone while expanding into the global market.”
The project received support from KIMS’s Basic Research Program and NST’s Creative Convergence Research Program. Findings were published in May 2025 in Rare Metals (Impact Factor: 11.0), with Ph.D. candidate Sun-Young Yang as first author. The team has filed a domestic patent on the magnetic cooling evaluation system and has pursued a corresponding U.S. patent application.
About Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS) — KIMS is a non-profit government-funded institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea. As Korea’s sole institution dedicated to comprehensive materials technology, KIMS supports the industry through R&D, testing and evaluation, inspection, and technology services.
