Chinese scientists have discovered a promising green refrigeration technology that may replace traditional refrigerants that use freon, a greenhouse gas that leads to severe climate problems. 

The research team led by Tong Peng at the Institute of Solid State Physics at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science under the Chinese Academy of Sciences has found excellent cooling performance in n-alkanes through solid-liquid state transition driven by high pressure. The discovery provides a new perspective for developing eco-friendly refrigeration technology. 

Refrigerants are widely used in air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers and more. Current refrigeration technology mainly employs a vapor-compression system that consumes a lot of energy.

The new technology is safe and eco-friendly at a relatively low cost, according to Lin Jianchao from the research team. A related paper was published recently in the journal Nature Communications. 

However, problems like high driving pressure and low thermal response remain unsolved, which hinders its future application, according to the team.