Room-temperature superconductor 'breakthrough' met with scepticism

New Scientist ^ | 26 July 2023 | By Karmela Padavic-Callaghan

[Red Badger]

A team of researchers claims to have created the first materials that conduct electricity perfectly at room temperature and ambient pressure, but many physicists are highly sceptical. Speaking to New Scientist, Hyun-Tak Kim at the College of William & Mary in Virginia says he will support anyone trying to replicate his team’s work.

Superconductors are materials through which electricity can move without encountering any resistance, and so would significantly cut down the energy costs of electronics. But for over a century, researchers have been unable to make them work except under extreme conditions like very low temperatures and remarkably high pressures.

Now, Kim and his colleagues claim to have made a material that is superconductive at room temperature and pressure.

If their claims hold up to scientific scrutiny, this new work would be truly extraordinary, so the burden of proof for the research team is equally exceptional. The fact that some previous reports of breakthroughs in superconductivity were later retracted and that other teams failed to replicate the results also raises the stakes.

To make the new material, called LK-99, Kim and his colleagues mixed several powdered compounds containing lead, oxygen, sulphur and phosphorus, then heated them at a high temperature for several hours. This made the powders chemically react and transform into a dark grey solid.

The researchers then measured how much a millimetre-sized sample of LK-99 resisted electricity passing through it at different temperatures and found that its so-called resistivity fell sharply from a sizeable positive value at 105°C (221°F) down to nearly zero at 30°C (86°F).

[Red Badger]

Reference: arXiv DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2307.12008, DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2307.12037

LK-99 partially levitating

Hyun-Tak Kim et al. (2023)

https://archive.is/o/kIX9s/https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.12008

[Red Badger]

Ping!.................

[Leaning Right]

Interesting article. But I have a small complaint. The first sentence of the article says the material will conduct electricity “perfectly”. Wow! Then later it says the resistivity was “nearly zero”, which of course is not perfect.

That’s not the fault of the scientist. It’s the fault of a lazy editor.

[nwrep]

The author identifies as a "She/They":

[z3n]

[BigFreakinToad]

if true that would be a game changer

[mjustice]

A team of researchers claims to have created the first materials that conduct electricity perfectly at room temperature and ambient pressure, but many physicists are highly sceptical. Speaking to New Scientist, Hyun-Tak Kim at the College of William & Mary in Virginia says he will support anyone trying to replicate his team’s work.

This is how science is supposed to work. If they're willing to share their process and results, and other scientists can replicate it, it moves closer to being accepted as a solution. The notion that the original scientist is willing to support other teams reproducing his results indicates that the original team believes in their work.

[Red Badger]

Close enough for government work..............

[Red Badger]

Now, if we can just get that ‘Room Temperature Fusion’ thingy going..................

[Boogieman]

“The notion that the original scientist is willing to support other teams reproducing his results indicates that the original team believes in their work.”

Yes, much more encouraging that some others who have, say, claimed “cold fusion” but then refused to disclose their process because that may have interfered with them bilking investors.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Of course it does.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

RB, interesting!

"mixed several powdered compounds containing lead, oxygen, sulphur and phosphorus"

But we do not know what those compounds were? Lead is diamagnetic, so magnatism associated with small internal currents within the resulting non magnetic substance cause levitation? Or does the unamed compound contain something that normally reacts magnetically?

Uses? ..Superconducting motor brushes if you can keep your motor at room temp? For EV cars in cold places, although the Batteries in cold places are the real problem. Cathode/anode battery material?? Propulsion engine or exterior coating for your personal magnetically propelled craft? (Do not lick the coating!)

(So...having some fun with this, the Secret Sauce compounds.....Powdered crushed refrigerator magnets!)

( My Current News Tin Foil Take!) Magnetically fixed on the refrigerator...note what looks like a child's picture of a fleet of UFOs (not pumice rocks!) fleeing their base in an erupting volcano! :O)

[Red Badger]

>But we do not know what those compounds were?......

Melange....................

[TheDon]

“many physicists are highly sceptical”

Science deniers.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

“Kim and his colleagues mixed several powdered compounds containing lead, oxygen, sulphur and phosphorus, then heated them at a high temperature for several hours.”

Hard at wok mixing those compounds…

[ProtectOurFreedom]

You are perfectly pedantic. Well, maybe nearly perfect.

[Leaning Right]

Hmm. I was just trying to conduct myself properly.
But it seems like you have some resistance to my post.
🙂

[jimfree]

That cold fusion “breakthrough” was about 30 years ago now?

[Red Badger]

Where’s my flying car?.......................

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Lol. Seriously, I just laughed at your reply. Thanks for that chuckle.