VO2 - is the chemical abbreviation for metallic vanadium dioxide, a super metal that conducts electricity but not heat, which opens up new applications

Metallic vanadium dioxide (defined as the metal that conducts electricity) is not a recently discovered compound, as its knowledge is attributable to the mineralogist Andrés Manuel who in 1801, in the city of Mexico, classified it as lead salt and not as a chemical element.

It was only in 1830 that the Swedish Sefstrom recognized it as an element , giving it the name of Vanadio, inspired by the goddess Scandiva of beauty, in relation to the colors that the compound had.

But it was necessary to wait until 1869 when the Englishman Roscoe made the metal by reducing the vanadium chloride through hydrogen.

In recent years, attention to this compound has been rekindled as the principle of transmission of electricity through metal and its poor heat transmission has been studied in a more scientific manner and with more modern research equipment .

The two factors have always been linked and regulated by the Wiedemann-Franz law , which states that the electricity conductors are normally also heat conductors , which can be seen when using an electrical appliance, noting the heating of the appliance near its engine electric.

Through the studies of a team of American researchers it has been possible to establish scientifically how metallic titanium dioxide does not respect this theory, as it has the ability to pass from an insulator to a conductive element at certain temperatures.

The study focused on the implications that this new knowledge could bring in the electronic behavior of conductors.

The knowledge that one has in the field of the conductors are put back in part in question by this new compound, but above all they have opened new scenarios of employment that could be very useful. Let’s think about the possible conversion of the waste heat of electric motors into electricity or improve the thermal insulation of the frames.

In fact, the characteristic of the vanadio dioxide is that of becoming conductor at temperatures higher than those of the environment , therefore we wanted to analyze the principle according to which the electrons move inside the crystal lattice of the product , verifying also the quantity of heat product.

This test could prove that the thermal conductivity of the electrons in the compound was about 10 times lower than what the Wiedemann-Franz law would have predicted.

Further tests have been carried out with the aim of understanding which and how many materials can be combined with vinadium dioxide to modify the amount of heat and electricity that the new compound obtained could express.

In the possible new applications that can be imagined through the use of this product, it is necessary to keep in mind that the vanadio dioxide has the characteristic of being transparent up to a temperature of about 85 ° and reflecting the infrared light from 140 ° .

In the field of building construction , which takes into consideration energy saving , low C02 emission and current savings , it can be assumed that vinadio dioxide is used for the coating of fixtures where high thermal conductivity will be appreciated. summer, as it will keep the rooms cool and the low thermal conductivity, in the presence of low temperatures, will help the insulation of buildings.