A research team from the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS) has made significant strides in cooling technology by developing Korea’s first full-cycle magnetic cooling system. Led by Dr. Jong-Woo Kim and Dr. Da-Seul Shin, this innovation promises to provide an eco-friendly alternative to conventional gas-based refrigeration methods, addressing critical environmental concerns.
The newly developed magnetic cooling technology operates using the magnetocaloric effect, which changes the temperature of materials in response to an external magnetic field. This breakthrough enables cooling without the use of harmful gas refrigerants, a crucial step as regulations on refrigerants tighten globally. The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol mandates that the production and use of major gas refrigerants, including HFCs and HCFCs, will be banned entirely after 2030.
Challenges have hindered the commercialization of magnetic cooling technology, particularly regarding the high manufacturing costs associated with magnetocaloric materials and the reliance on rare-earth elements. Additionally, achieving mass production has been complicated by the need for large-area plates and fine wires for industrial use.
To overcome these obstacles, the KIMS team synthesized various magnetocaloric materials, including lanthanum (La)-based and manganese (Mn)-based alloys. They successfully fabricated sheet and fine-wire specimens through advanced processes such as hot rolling and cold drawing. Notably, they achieved large-area La-based thin sheets, measuring 0.5 mm thick, and Gd-based fine wires with a diameter of 1.0 mm, showcasing exceptional performance.
The team also focused on non-rare-earth Mn-based materials, improving cooling performance by managing thermal hysteresis and magnetic anisotropy. A significant innovation was the development of Korea’s first measurement system capable of directly monitoring temperature changes in magnetic cooling components, allowing for the quantitative verification of material properties.
As global interest in alternative cooling technologies rises, countries like Germany report magnetic cooling systems demonstrating higher coefficients of performance (COP) than traditional refrigeration methods. This trend highlights the potential for magnetic refrigeration to emerge as a core solution in the international market.
The KIMS team is committed to enhancing its technological competitiveness through impactful research and key patent registrations. Dr. Jong-Woo Kim stated, “Once commercialized, this technology will overcome the limitations of conventional gas-based cooling systems and provide an eco-friendly and stable cooling solution.” Dr. Da-Seul Shin added, “Through this creative convergence research project, we aim to further advance magnetocaloric technology and establish a domestic industrial infrastructure for it, while also expanding into the global market.”
The research was funded by the Basic Research Program of KIMS and the Creative Convergence Research Program of the National Research Council of Science and Technology (NST). The findings were published in the renowned journal Rare Metals in May 2025, with Ph.D. candidate Sun-Young Yang as the lead author. The team has also registered a domestic patent for the magnetic cooling evaluation system and filed a corresponding patent application in the United States.
This advancement represents a promising shift towards sustainable cooling solutions, aligning with global decarbonization policies and the urgent need for innovative technologies in response to climate change.
