An incredible shrinking material: Engineers reveal how scandium trifluoride contracts with heat

(PhysOrg.com) — They shrink when you heat ’em. Most materials expand when heated, but a few contract. Now engineers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have figured out how one of these curious materials, scandium trifluoride (ScF3), does the trick—a finding, they say, that will lead to a deeper understanding of all kinds of materials.