3D Printed Materials Enable MAGNOTHERM’s Next Gen Magnetic Cooling Tech

MAGNOTHERM, a German startup spun out of TU Darmstadt, has announced a significant breakthrough in the world of advanced cooling technologies that could mean huge potential for everything from refrigeration and HVAC systems to hydrogen liquification. Using Desktop Metal’s binder jetting technology, the company was able to demonstrate the 3D printing of lanthanum-iron-silicon (La-Fe-Si) regenerators, a critical material for magnetic cooling. MAGNOTHERM’s 3D-printed regenerators represent one of the first instances where such materials have been produced in application-ready geometries, enabling enhanced performance across a wide temperature range.

The ability to fabricate intricate and optimized geometries is critical for maximizing the performance of magnetocaloric materials, which rely on magnetic fields to create heating and cooling cycles.  The achievement is particularly timely as the cooling industry faces increasing pressure to transition away from traditional refrigerants, which are often environmentally harmful.

MAGNOTHERM’s magnetocaloric cooling technology uses water-based loops instead of gas refrigerants, offering a sustainable alternative that can reduce energy consumption by up to 30%. The 3D-printed La-Fe-Si regenerators play a key role in this process, as they allow for efficient heat exchange over a broad temperature range, making them suitable for applications from commercial refrigeration to industrial cooling systems.

Founded in 2019, MAGNOTHERM, has quickly positioned itself as a leader in sustainable cooling technology. The company’s core focus is on developing magnetocaloric systems that eliminate the need for compressors and gas-based refrigerants, aiming to replace legacy cooling technologies. One of their flagship products, the POLARIS cooler, showcases this technology in action, offering an 80-liter, event-ready beverage cooler that exemplifies the practical applications of magnetocaloric cooling.

Based on this novel cooling technology, the company secured $6.9 million in a 2023 seed round led by Extantia Capital, with participation from Hessen Kapital and Revent. These funds have allowed the startup to scale its manufacturing capabilities and bring its magnetocaloric solutions closer to commercialization. Additionally, the company has leveraged grants from the German government and the EU, which have supported the development and refinement of its technology before entering the private investment market.

La-Fe-Si alloys present significant challenges for 3D printing with many conventional additive manufacturing technologies due to their sensitivity to temperature changes and oxidation, which are critical for maintaining their magnetocaloric properties. Laser-based methods like powder bed fusion or directed energy deposition use high localized heat, which can lead to phase changes or thermal stress, potentially degrading the material’s cooling efficiency. Additionally, the brittleness of La-Fe-Si makes it prone to cracking under the thermal gradients typical of these processes.

Binder jetting, therefore, offers a distinct advantage due to the fact that it uses a low-temperature sintering process that minimizes thermal stress and avoids the extreme temperatures that could compromise the alloy’s magnetic properties. This method also reduces oxidation risks and allows for the production of complex geometries essential for heat-exchange applications. While binder jetting requires careful post-sintering to achieve the desired material density and mechanical properties, it provides better control over the microstructure and phase composition, making it particularly suited for producing La-Fe-Si components for magnetocaloric cooling.

As the world hurries toward more energy-efficient and ecologically sustainable practices, it will take an all-hands-on-deck approach to finding alternatives to the status quo. Due to its ability to quickly iterate new, complex designs with novel materials, 3D printing will play a crucial role in this transition. What this means is that MAGNOTHERM is likely just one among many firms exploring new, more efficient cooling methods, just as there are a plethora of businesses now 3D printing unique heat exchangers. However, to rapidly deploy these technologies, it will be necessary for governments and intermediary bodies to facilitate their production at scale.