flying sparks

The properties of physics are hardly known to be fickle. The laws that govern electricity, magnetism and thermodynamics are, quite simply, unyielding. But that doesn’t mean there can never be exceptions to these rules. Science is about new discoveries, after all. Recently, a team of researchers at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and Duke University have found that the properties of a new material are bending, if not skirting around, some of the laws of physics.

A New Material for the Industry

The researchers found that vanadium dioxide, the material in question, has the ability to conduct electricity without simultaneously conducting heat. In most metals, the Wiedemann-Franz Law governs the relationship between electrical and thermal conductivity. The law states that the ratio of electronic contribution of thermal conductivity to that of electrical conductivity in metals is proportional to their temperature. In other words, good conductors of electricity are also good conductors of heat.

Vanadium dioxide has the peculiar ability to transform from an insulator to a metal when it is heated to 152 degrees Fahrenheit. When this happens its electrical conductivity increases exponentially, but its thermal conductivity does not experience this same rate of change. In the studies that the researchers conducted on the metal, they found the metal’s thermal conductivity was ten times less than where it should have been had vanadium dioxide followed the Wiedemann-Franz Law.

Could it Be Used in Springs

The question remains as to how vanadium dioxide could be incorporated into precision springs, and whether or people would find it useful in their products. Researchers are already touting how it could be used to help cool down engines by dissipating the heat that is generated. Although materials like inconel superalloy already withstand temperatures up to 1600 degrees fahrenheit, adding in this metal holds the potential to increase the maximum temperature in which springs can operate.

Imagine the possibilities this could bring to OEMs who use this material in their products. IN the meantime, we will have to settle for steel and inconel, both of which get the job done when used in quality springs. To get a quote on your next spring order, contact our team today.