Engineered "Sand" May Help Cool Electronic Devices

Physics Blog 4

Scientists have developed an engineered silicon dioxide nanoparticle coated with a high dielectric constant polymer used to improve cooling for increasingly power consuming electronic devices. In todays ever expanding world, technology is become more and more advanced, and looks to become more efficient. Engineer Baratunde Cola created the silicon dioxide, or sand for your computer" as a revolutionary way to cool the core of computers.

The silicon dioxide, covered with the high dielectric constant polymer, has unique surface properties that conduct heat at potentially higher efficiency than existing cooling materials. The nanoscale electromagnetic effects on the surface of the silicon dioxide act together allowing a strong heat controlling and conducting material.

Technology including electronics, LEDs, and household applications could, in time, have the silicon dioxide placed inside in order for strong heat dissipation, or becoming cooler. This would work by taking a packed nanoparticle bed (of silicon dioxide seen in there image below) that would normally act as an insulator, enacting light to couple strongly into the material bu engineering a high dielectric constant medium, and hence turning the nanoparticle bed into a conductor of heat in this case. When material are reduced to extremely small nanometers, the surface properties of the material dominate over but properties, allowing the photons of heat the flow from one particle to another in the closely packed bed.

According to Cola, the electronic device would be packed with ethylene glycol-coated nanoparticles in the air space, proving that they would be as efficient as typical heat dissipation materials, that in addition won't conduct electricity cause less heat to be emitted in the process.

Silicon dioxide is used because the crystalline lattice that it possesses generates resonant optical phonons at room temperature while providing a good compromise of general properties and cost from the others. Silicon dioxides extremely hard, having very high boiling and meting points, and does not conduct electricity. It is also insoluble in water, where these properties all result in strong covalent bonds, allowing heat to pass through and absorb well.

Baylor Wallace

January 11, 2017