Licence agreement for superconducting breakthrough

Nov 13, 2006

The University of Wollongong has consolidated its standing as one of the world leaders in the development of superconductivity materials with the announcement that it has signed a licence agreement to patent a breakthrough technology with a US-based company.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Margaret Sheil, said the agreement represented one of the largest licensing deals ever entered into by the University.

Researchers at one of the University’s world class teams, the Institute for Superconductivity and Electronic Materials (ISEM), have made a breakthrough in the fabrication of wires from the newly-discovered superconductor compound magnesium diboride (MgB2) by using nano (i.e. minute)-scale silicon carbide and carbon doping. They have achieved a world record high critical current density and upper critical field in superconducting MgB2 wires.

The in-field critical current density of MgB2 wires increases by more than an order of magnitude by nano scale silicon carbide and nano-carbon doping. Leading the team at the University of Wollongong is Professor Shixue Dou who is the Director of the ISEM.

The agreement will allow Hyper Tech Research Inc of Columbus, Ohio, USA, to license UOW's patented technology for use in the superconducting wires. The MgB2 technology will be commercially competitive because of its improved performance and its relative low cost and ease of production compared to other superconducting materials. Hyper Tech, led by Mr Mike Tomsic, has a large facility which contains the proprietary equipment necessary to manufacture MgB2 superconducting wire of varying diameters and lengths using its patented manufacturing process.

A team of 20 engineers, scientists and technicians has been assembled to meet the task. Mr Tomsic has established a world-leading superconductor consortium consisting of the University of Wollongong (ISEM), and the Laboratory for Applied Superconductivity and Magnetism (LASM) at the Ohio State University and Hyper Tech Research Inc. A local industry, CMS Alphatech International is also a partner for this collaborative project.

Superconductors are materials that have very low resistance to the flow of electricity below certain temperatures. Finding materials that do transport electricity with very low loss of energy has massive implications for industry and technology in general.

“This is one of the most important advances since the discovery of superconductivity in MgB2 material and will have an important impact on the development of technological superconductors,” Professor Dou said.

He said there was great potential for this emerging superconductor to be used for various practical applications such as in the wires in metal coils for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, fault current limiters, power cables, cryogenic motors, energy storage devices, generators, magnetic separators and transformers.

“Widespread applications of this invention will lead to enormous energy savings and environmental benefits,” Professor Dou said.

The breakthrough has been verified and confirmed by leading groups at the University of Cambridge, the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida, University of Geneva, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the National Institute of Materials Science in Japan, Tokyo University, Northwestern Institute of Nonferrous Metals in China, University of Wisconsin and Ohio State University, University of Geneva and the University of Karlsrohe.

Professor Dou said the high performance of the nano-doped MgB2 opens a technical window to a range of electric power applications previously believed to be only accessible to the copper oxide based high temperature superconducting materials.

For general information contact Dr Troy Coyle on (02) 4221 4420 or the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Margaret Sheil on (02) 4221 3915; or for further technical information contact Professor Shixue Dou on (02) 4221 4558.

For more information, contact:

media@uow.edu.au
University of Wollongong
Ph: (02) 4221 5942; fax (02) 4221 3128