Tag : Superconductors

Washington: Superconductors may eventually replace bulk magnets in equipment like electric motors, MRI scanners, and CT scanners. But the problem is that conventional high-temperature superconductors require a long and complicated manufacturing process and are made up of costly rare earth metals. This has led to shift to magnesium diboride (or MgB2)-based superconductors which are cheaper, light in weight, and easier to fabricate and mould into intricate shapes. The findings of the research were published in Ceramics International. A group of researchers from Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT), led by Professor Muralidhar Miryala, solved this problem by outlining an all-new, low-cost, and efficient method for refining boron. Previous research has shown that using nanoscale boron to make MgB2 results in better magnetic characteristics. However, commercial nanoscale boron is expensive. Ball milling, a popular method for refining boron introduces impurities which hinder the superconductor's performance. Thus, there is a need for a low-cost method for the nanoscale refining of boron. Now, in a paper published in Ceramics International (version available online on 14 June 2022), a team of researchers from Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT), led by Professor Muralidhar Miryala, solved this problem by outlining an all-new, low-cost, and efficient method for refining boron. The team used a technique called ultrasonication, a technique that employs ultrasound waves to agitate particles in a sample. First, they placed commercially available crystalline boron in distilled water. This was then subjected to ultrasonic sound waves of 20 kHz. The researchers subjected the crystalline boron to the ultrasonic treatment for varying periods ...