New superconducting material could revolutionize batteries and the electrical grid

A team of scientists from the University of Rochester in the United States has succeeded in developing a superconducting material that works at room temperature and low pressure.. In the name of ‘red substanceThe new material could be the best choice for superconductivity and could revolutionize technology in the industry – it’s not in vain that the name refers to the films of the Star Trek series.

In an article on the superconductor published in the scientific journal natureThe scientists explain that the material is a lutetium hydride mixed with nitrogen and can be used at a temperature of 20.9 degrees and a pressure of 145,000 psi. The big difference is that common superconductors need low temperatures and high pressure to work, but ‘Reddmatter’ operates at a mild temperature and a lower pressure.

To create the material, they combined the element lutetium with hydrogen to convert it to a hydride, making it possible to use it at room temperature. By adding nitrogen, the researchers noticed that the superconductor works well at relatively lower pressures.

Initially, the compound had a bright blue color, but during the onset of superconductivity it was compressed and changed from blue to pink, then to a non-superconducting state represented by bright metallic red. This was exactly where the scientists called the material ‘Reddmatter’.

red matter superconductor

Conventional superconductors can conduct electricity without any resistance, but only when they reach extremely low temperatures; The problem is that most of the energy is lost and dissipated as heat. Therefore, a superconductor that normally flows at a temperature of about 21 degrees could represent a major breakthrough for the industry.

“In everyday life, we have many different metals that we use for different applications, so we will also need different types of superconducting materials. Rochester Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Physics and study team leader Ranga Dias said, “We use different metals for different applications, as well as more for different applications. “We need more environmental superconductors,” he said.

A material that can conduct electric current at room temperature could be one of humanity’s greatest evolutions. For example, ‘Reddmatter’ should contribute to the development of more efficient power grids, lift trains and faster, smaller and more efficient medical imaging equipment. With less energy loss, the material can also help batteries last longer.

Dias believes the material will also accelerate the development of tokamak machines, a type of experimental machine that relies on strong magnetic fields to harness the energy of nuclear fusion.

Anyway, it’s important to note that the material is being worked on and still needs some work to be done before it’s released. In 2020, the same team published another paper on the subject in the journal Nature, which was later retracted due to problems with the data processing techniques used in the research – recently the paper was resubmitted with new data to prove the quality of the work. .study

“With this material came the dawn of environmental superconductivity and applied technologies,” said the team responsible for the study, in a statement from the University of Rochester.