New 'metal sandwich' may break superconductor record

[RyanJ]

Super conductors are the wannabe "hot shots" of the electricity world - they could potentially revolutionize the face of electronics as we know it, if only we had some that worked near room temperature.

 

Scientists are currently in an all out search to find the superconductor that works at the highest temperature and a new discovery is set to break the current record. This new superconductor is known as lithium monoboride (LiB) and should be stable and superconductor at temperatures greater than 39 degrees Kelvin! That may not seem like much, but in the world of super conductors that’s a very high temperature.

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060508164220.htm

 

- Ryan Jones

[SmallIsPower]

You're right, that isn't much. Room temperature is 300 degrees Kelvin, and we've had cermic superconductors around for 20 years.

[Heretic]

Sorry I know nothing about this topic and this is my first time on these forums so forgive me as I can only quote the article above.

 

You're right, that isn't much. Room temperature is 300 degrees Kelvin, and we've had cermic superconductors around for 20 years.

 

You're right in the fact that ceramics have been around for a while (1986) and have the record high temperature of superconducting at 138 degrees Kelvin. That's not what the article is about however. It seems to be about how a binary alloy has the ability to surpass the current binary alloy record of 39 degrees Kelvin held by magnesium diboride (MgB2).

 

It seems there are stressing the fact that this new alloy "should be" incredibly stable compared to other superconducting alloys. I guess ceramics aren't stable or easy to produce comparatively? Again I don't know much about it, but if you read the whole article SIP you might be able to see something I'm missing.