XPost: comp.os.linux.misc   
   From: lars@beagle-ears.com   
      
   {Note Followups-To]   
      
   On 2026-01-21, c186282  wrote:   
   > https://techxplore.com/news/2026-01-newly-metallic-material-th   
   rmal-upends.html   
   >   
   > Copper currently dominates the global heat-sink market, accounting   
   > for roughly 30% of commercial thermal-management materials, with   
   > a thermal conductivity of about 400 watts per meter-kelvin.   
   >   
   > The UCLA-led team found that metallic theta-phase tantalum   
   > nitride, in contrast, has an ultrahigh thermal conductivity   
   > of approximately 1,100 W/mK, setting a new benchmark for   
   > metallic materials and redefining what is possible for heat   
   > transport in metals.   
   >   
   > . . .   
   >   
   >    The new stuff is a sort-of metal ... a particular crystalline   
   >    config of tantalum nitride.   
   >   
   >    While still not a superconductor, a 2.5x boost in heat   
   >    conductivity can make a HUGE difference with IC chips.   
   >    What if you can run yer boxes with 80,000 Nvidia chips   
   >    30% faster, yet spend less on cooling them ?   
   >   
   >    Can this be easily commercialized ? Stay tuned ...   
      
   I seem to remember that tantalum is one of those metals mined in open   
   pits in the Congo. A "conflict mineral".   
   --   
   Lars Poulsen - an old geek in Santa Barbara, California   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)