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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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6

High-Tech Mug Keeps Coffee Just Right

Mug absorbs heat, then releases it to maintain perfect temperature

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(Newser) – German scientists have developed a coffee mug that gets your joe to the right temperature and keeps it there, Der Spiegel reports. The secret is phase-change material, waxy stuff used in home-building to maintain temperatures indoors. It's also stuffed inside winter jackets, and if these scientists have their way, it will soon be stuffed into the structure of porcelain mugs and sold at a store near you.

When the coffee hits the cup, it melts the PCM, which absorbs the heat and keeps giving it off at a steady clip. The scientists found a PCM that melts at 136 degrees Fahrenheit, which they say is the perfect drinking temp for coffee. The material also could eventually be used to keep perishable food from spoiling or to keep machine parts from overheating.

If you are drinking hot coffee in one of these cups, the drink's heat is directed straight into the still solid PCM. This heat, in term, melts the PCM—kind of like wax—and turns it into a liquid. - Herbert Sinnesbichler

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6 comments
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odowd80
Aug 20, 09 11:04 AM CDT
I need to get me one of these! Reply
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+6
Fondue
Aug 20, 09 11:48 AM CDT
That's awesome. Scientists are cool. Reply
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+5
cochiserocks
Aug 20, 09 12:19 PM CDT
I can just see the display at Petrol station counter now :-) Reply
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+1
BlahBlahBlah
Aug 20, 09 2:34 PM CDT
Ureka! All of the worlds problems are solved!!! Blah, blah, blah. Reply
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0
paul123
Aug 20, 09 4:43 PM CDT
sooo cool! Reply
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0

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