What materials can be used as a superconductor?

[Max Born]

Hey guys!

I'm doing a science project on high temperature superconductors and i was just wondering, what kind of metals that can be bought will become a superconductor when put in liquid nitrogen. Liquid nitrogen of course is 63k so anything below 63 kelvins will not work, however if a metal can become a superconductor if the temperature is >63k's than that will be awesome!

Thanks!

 

[DrDu]

There are no typical metals with a critical temperature above 77 K. The only substances known with a higher critical temperature are the oxocuprates like YBaCO.

 

[Max Born]

So is it possible for me to make a high temperature superconductor in a school laboratory?

 

[ZapperZ]

So is it possible for me to make a high temperature superconductor in a school laboratory?

High-Tc cuprates are not made that easily. Furthermore, some of the compounds used (Ba, Y, Sr, etc) are toxic and should not be in the hands of people who are ignorant of their dangers.

Why can't you just buy one? School lab supplies catalogs often list such superconductors for purchase.

Zz.

 

[pmacias]

Hello! That's a great question. Superconductors are materials that can conduct electricity with zero resistance when cooled below a certain temperature, known as the critical temperature. The most commonly used materials for superconductors are metals such as niobium, tin, and lead. However, there are also several ceramic materials that exhibit superconducting properties, such as yttrium barium copper oxide and bismuth strontium calcium copper oxide. These ceramic materials are known as high temperature superconductors because they can achieve superconductivity at temperatures above 77 kelvins, which is the boiling point of liquid nitrogen. Other materials that have shown superconducting properties include certain alloys, organic compounds, and even some carbon-based materials. Overall, there is ongoing research to discover new materials that can exhibit superconductivity at even higher temperatures, making them more practical for real-world applications. I hope this helps with your project!