Magnetic fridges?

Normally when you think of magnets and refrigerators you think of the kind of magnets that you place on the fridge. Yet thanks to science, it's becoming more feasible to use a new way to make fridges more efficient that uses magnetic theories.

Gadolinium-containing materials give off heat when placed in a magnetic field, making them useful for a technology called magnetic cooling. The technology is 20 to 30 per cent more efficient than the vapour-compression cycle method used to keep domestic refrigerators cool, and it also avoids the environmentally hazardous coolant chemicals currently used in those fridges.

The expensive technology is still restricted to the lab, but a better understanding of how magnetic properties arise could lead to the development of cheaper materials with the same features, says the team.

There is certainly a commercial appetite for the technology: last year, home appliance manufacturer Whirlpool announced its intention to deliver magnetic refrigeration to the domestic market.