Do you want to know what are the superconducting? Where does the power to transport energy come from? What are the characteristics that make them suitable for electrons to circulate with the least resistance? Stay with us and know all about it.
The superconducting, whether of artificial or natural origin, can be of two kinds, this will depend on whether or not they have the ability to transport electricity. On the one hand, there are the so-called conductors, among which are metals such as copper (Cu), silver (Ag) and gold (Au). These metals are permeable to electrons, since they can circulate freely, transporting the electric charge with them.
On the other hand, the class of materials that are called insulators, as is the case with wood or rubber, which prevent the transfer of electrons and the transfer of the flow of electric current through their bodies.
superconducting materials
Although metals are usually good conductors of energy, the kinetic energy contained in the constant flow of electrons causes the atoms of the material that acts as a conductor to vibrate and collides with them, which leads to an increase in temperature in the metal. body of the conductor, increasing at the same time its resistance to the electrical flow, preventing its normal transmission, producing a loss of energy in the form of heat.
That heat loss, which is lost by a Joule sequel, is in some cases not a desired result, because it prevents profitability from occurring and is not practical. Due to this, several researchers have directed their work towards the analysis of the prodigy of the superconductor, which are the superconducting materials, and how to use them for the benefit of human beings and society.
What is superconductivity?
Superconductivity is the name given to the scientific effect that occurs when a conductive material completely dissipates its ability to resist electricity, managing to stay at a temperature close to absolute zero, which is the equivalent of -237ºC, but the temperature at which a material driver becomes a superconductor It is modified according to the type of material in question. Also know the Planck's Quantum Theory.
This phenomenon has been given the name of critical temperature or transition temperature. This relationship was discovered in 1911, at the University of Leiden by the Dutch physicist HK Onnes, the same one who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics the following two years, in 1913.
So what are superconductors?
Understanding the definition of superconductivity, we can infer that a superconductor It is, in essence, a material that has undergone a procedure by which its temperature has been significantly reduced, for which elements such as nitrogen in liquid form or helium are commonly used, with such gradation that it has been achieved mutate its electrical properties, completely eliminating its resistance to current transfer.
Classification of superconductors
The superconducting materials They can be divided into two types:
superconductors Type I
They are those that initially have been basic conductive elements, because they are usually used for the manufacture of all the elements that are required to transport electricity, starting with an electricity cable and being able to end up in a microchip of any computer.
Thanks to advances and experimentation, today superconducting Type I have achieved critical temperatures between 0.000325ºK and 7.8ºK at a standard pressure of 1 bar or 0.986 923 27 atm. Various superconducting Type I, in addition to requiring considerably low temperatures, require being subjected to enormous pressures.
That is what happens with Sulfur, which requires a temperature of 17ºK, which translates to -256.15ºC, and a constant pressure of 9.3 million atm, so that it can acquire the quality of superconductivity.
But what is really important is that it has been established that fifty percent of the elements contained in the periodic table can become superconductors, if given the right circumstances of temperature and pressure.
superconductors Type II
This classification is made up of metallic compounds such as copper or lead. The fact is that these elements manage to acquire the nature of superconducting at temperatures considerably higher than those required by superconducting Type I
But the studies continue, because the reason for this dramatic increase in the temperature of these materials has not yet been fully understood. Applying a standard pressure, the highest temperature achieved by a compound that assumes the characteristics of a superconductor is 135ºK, equivalent to -138ºC, up to now and this happened with superconducting of ceramic origin, which are called cuprates.
Characteristics of superconductors
Due to the infinity of their scientific and practical applications, these superconducting materials They turn out to be particularly appreciated because, having managed to get rid of their electrical resistance capacity, there is no heating effect and, as a consequence, there is no loss of energy, so that the superconducting They turn out to be extraordinarily efficient.
In theory, if a small current is supplied to a superconductor with which a closed-type circuit has been formed, electricity will be able to circulate infinitely through the superconductor, without the need for an additional power source, converting at superconducting material into the closest thing to a perpetual motion mechanism.
Another interesting scientific conclusion that has been reached as a result of experimentation is that it constitutes a distinctive characteristic of superconducting All those classified as Type I expel the magnetic field from their interior, which has been called the Meissner effect, and gives rise to interesting and practical phenomena such as levitation. Learn more about the topic in our section on properties of superconductors.
On the contrary, superconducting that belong to Type 2 admit the passage of the magnetic field through them.
superconductor applications
But still haven't been able to get the electrical superconductor perfect, so for scientists and researchers the goal is to acquire a superconducting material that can operate at room temperature and that can be used in the form of cables or any other connective element and, furthermore, that can be produced at very low cost, which currently represents a great challenge for modern science.
If this were possible, its application possibilities would be limitless. This is because, first of all, all electrical devices and components would become more efficient as a result, and a considerable reduction in electricity consumption could be achieved, thus eliminating the use of nuclear power plants to generate electricity. Learn more about the impact of superconductors on energy.
Possible short-term benefits
Another important application is in the field of medicine, because with a superconductor of these characteristics, the way in which magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines work could be perfected.
Likewise, it would be possible and simple to transport electrical energy over long distances, without suffering the effect of loss due to dispersion in the environment, this application being particularly practical and useful in matters related to renewable energies.
Finally, using the superconducting Type I, in theory, objects can be levitated, that is, they remain in the air without any type of support, and this is achieved by means of superconducting Magnets, with which these materials could give way to improvements in transportation systems, making them faster and more efficient, as well as friendly to the environment, as could be the case of high-speed trains.
The future of superconductivity
It is true that some of the technologies linked today to superconducting They have probably not yet gone beyond being a simple idea or a sketch, but the effort that researchers and scientists have put into it cannot be denied.
We also invite you to see: Contributions by Blaise Pascal
It is also undeniable the injection of money that governments and universities have made so that more research is done every day and ensure that they have a place in this scientific marathon, in which the one who obtains the ideal result will not only be historically revered, but that will manage to become the pillar of the future development and progress of humanity.
