JUL 09

It's about to get that much easier to create a tempest in a teapot. Conventional wisdom holds that a watched pot never boils and while “never” might be an exaggeration, most of us can agree that it takes longer than we’d like. However, researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered that by coating the inside of a pot with a microscopic layer of copper nanotubes—which under appropriate magnification make the surface of the cooking vessel look hairy—they can increase the efficiency of energy transfer from the pot to the water it holds by an order of magnitude.

In our imperfect world, where the burners of a range give off a huge proportion of their energy directly to the sorrounding air rather than to the cooking vessel they’re supposed to be heating, the microscopically hirsute pots save cooking time, costs, and energy. “If the time taken to boil a given quantity of water is reduced by an order of magnitude, that should translate into significant cost savings,” says Nikhil A. Koratkar, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer, who led the project. However, there are safety concerns to using nanotubes in this way, and testing should continue before we find these little tubes coating our hot-pot coils.

While the findings are definitely interesting, and novel in the context of cookware, the principle involved is generally well-known: an increase in surface area corresponds to more efficient transfer from one medium to another. It’s the same strategy employed in our intestines, where millions of microscopic villi—hair-like structures—aid in the absorption of nutrients; and in radiators, where the fins promote the migration of heat from the coolant to the surrounding air. Our friends at Treehugger speculate that the material could be adapted to make solar thermal power plants harness heat by the light of the sun more effectively - a likely prospect considering the success seen with nanotechnology used with in "hairy" solar cells, or with "popcorn ball" dye-sensitized solar cells.

What does this mean in reality? Well, most of us define when the watched pot has boiled by that roiling appearance as bubbles are nucleated and rise to the surface, rather than by the temperature of the water. The copper "microfur" results in a 30-fold increase in the number of bubbles created as the water reaches 100oC. Not only does the water get hot faster, but we’re also more likely to start actually cooking with it sooner. And who in her right mind doesn’t want a greener version of pasta e fagioli?

Via RPI and Treehugger

Comments (19)

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written by Clinch, July 09, 2008

Maybe they should put fur on the outside as well, to insulate it from losing heat.

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written by Tuan, July 09, 2008

How easy it is for the "fur" coating to be deformed? "Handle with great care or One time use only"! it is after all copper. I'm interested in knowing the microstructure of these copper nanotubes. Surely it cant have the structure of carbon nanotubes I think, which makes carbon nanotubes rigid. They're more likely copper nano-wires. On a relating note, have you ever handled copper heat sinks in your computer? Notice how malleable they are when you handle. =)

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So
written by David Ahlport, July 09, 2008

Wouldn't this make more sense as a heat transfer material for industrial scale steam turbines?

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written by Sian, July 09, 2008

Should be fine in a dedicated water-boiling device, then the boiling water is transferred to a cookpot or whatever for use.

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cancer
written by ..., July 09, 2008

Nano tubes have recently been found to cause cancer just like asbestos... and we want to drink it... no thanks (they will break off into the water). Come back when they have discovered a way to keep nano materials from entering our bodies or our cells. That is the bigger breakthrough. oh and nano materials can pass through the membrane that protects out brain tissue from outside materials. Not to mention that cluttering your body with nano metals that could interfere with future cancer treatments in development that rely on destroying all cells that contain nano metals using radio waves... if you are loaded down with nano silver (from socks) or nano copper (from these pots) you could end up destroying massive amounts of cells in the process.

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Limited Uses
written by David Reymond, July 09, 2008

It seems to me that this is not a technology practical for use in food preparation, as the author implies. Residue from food would probably build up quickly, and it would likely be difficult to remove without harming the coating, unless there is some property of the material used that I'm not familiar with (copper is relatively malleable as previous posters said). Boiling only water seems a more practical use, but even then, mineral scaling could quickly reduce the efficiency of transfer. It may also be prohibitively expensive. It might be practical on an industrial scale, as the poster above said.

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Danger
written by ausearth, July 09, 2008

nanoparticals are hot. they are not found free in the environment
living systems suck them up as catalysts.
danger

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Applications
written by Greg Haworth, July 09, 2008

Most of our current power plants still work off the basic property of boiling water to create steam. Forget ramen noodles, this could be a big advancement in our power production. Mirrored solar plants included.

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Coolness
written by James Dean, July 09, 2008

Pot is cool! A little pot never hurt nobody!
www.FireMe.To/udi

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Uncleanable?
written by Miguel, July 10, 2008

How would you wash such a pot? Unless these nanotubes are incredibly strong, the scrubbing side of the sponge would break them all off the first day you use it.

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POOP MASER
written by Chuck, July 10, 2008

video or it didn't happen

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Cancer?
written by Wow, July 10, 2008

Cancer? Nano-technology causes cancer? Do you have any idea what you're talking about? No, I didn't think so.

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where can I buy one
written by mike, July 10, 2008

I can save money eatting romain noodles and save money on electricity to heat the noodles but hopefully the bowl doesn't cost way too much.

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do-it-yourself project
written by Brian, July 10, 2008

What if you took an average copper pot and scratched up the inside with steel wool? Would water boil faster in that than in a smooth pot?

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written by Andrew, July 10, 2008

Read the news Wow Nano tubes do act as asbestos in the lungs. I think this would be a very good idea for food production

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written by Michelle, July 11, 2008

OR just cook your food with induction stoves.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/appliances/kitchen-appliances/cooktops-and-wall-ovens/induction-cooktops-506/overview/

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Plastic or Paper
written by Souptik Gupta, July 15, 2008

Would you rather have a root canal without Novocain or fall down a flight of stairs? Would you rather breathe second hand smoke or get an X-ray without the lead protective vest? Would you like paper or plastic? Please visit http://www.simplewaystohelp.com for all your queries.

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Heat Pumps
written by Cyril R., July 18, 2008

I agree that the health concerns probably make this a non-starter for food and potable water. This would be excellent technology for reducing parasitic losses in thermal energy transfer systems such as heat pumps, solar thermal electric powerplants etc.

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written by sintered metal, November 17, 2009

Forget ramen noodles, this could be a big advancement in our power production. Mirrored solar plants included.

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