Cusat researchers secure Indian patent for lead-free thermoelectric material

Kochi: Researchers at Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) have secured an Indian patent for a novel lead-free thermoelectric material based on calcium manganite, marking a significant advance in clean energy and cooling technologies. Patent was facilitated by Interuniversity Centre for IPR Studies (IUCIPRS) at Cusat.The innovation is the result of research led by M R Anantharaman, retired faculty of department of physics, along with Sreeram Punathil Raman, a former research scholar at Cusat and postdoctoral fellow at Rice University.According to researchers, the material enables conversion of waste heat into electricity while also offering cooling without use of compressors, refrigerant gases or moving components. It has been successfully tested with real-world heat sources such as automobile exhausts and household chimneys, demonstrating practical applications in power generation.A notable feature of the system is its rapid cooling capability, achieving temperatures from room level to 0°C within 15 seconds and even producing ice under ambient conditions. Researchers say the breakthrough could pave way for sustainable energy solutions and next-generation cooling systems with minimal environmental impact."If this scales the way it should, you are looking at future cooling systems that are smaller, quieter, cleaner and weirdly powerful — capable of making ice without looking like a refrigerator. In short, it takes wasted heat, turns it into something useful and casually produces ice with ease," said Anantharaman.