Negative thermal expansion materials: technological key for control of thermal expansion

• Published in: Science and technology of advanced materials Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 013001
• Main Author: Takenaka, Koshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 01.02.2012; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Composite; Composite materials; Heating; Negative thermal expansion; Thermal expansion; Thermal expansion compensator; Topical Review; Composite; Negative thermal expansion; Thermal expansion compensator
• ISSN: 1468-6996; 1878-5514
• DOI: 10.1088/1468-6996/13/1/013001

Most materials expand upon heating. However, although rare, some materials contract upon heating. Such negative thermal expansion (NTE) materials have enormous industrial merit because they can control the thermal expansion of materials. Recent progress in materials research enables us to obtain materials exhibiting negative coefficients of linear thermal expansion over −30 ppm K −1 . Such giant NTE is opening a new phase of control of thermal expansion in composites. Specifically examining practical aspects, this review briefly summarizes materials and mechanisms of NTE as well as composites containing NTE materials, based mainly on activities of the last decade.