Cooling metals to their critical temperature using liquid nitrogen can result in superconductivity, allowing for better energy conduction with no resistance. Aluminum and steel are commonly used metals for this process. Superconducting circuits can last longer than traditional systems due to minimal deterioration.
Metalworking often focuses on the benefits of heating the material to extreme temperatures for flexibility, but the benefits of extreme cooling are rarely considered. By cooling a metal to a very low temperature called the critical temperature, an electrical phenomenon called superconductivity can be observed. This method is a major advance in electrical work and has been used with a variety of metals, but aluminum and steel generally are the most common.
The critical temperature of a metal varies from substance to substance and, for purposes of conductivity, may not be achievable. Generally, metals need to be cooled to temperatures around 0 degrees Kelvin (minus -459 Fahrenheit, minus -273 Celsius) using liquid nitrogen until a noticeable phase change occurs. The change results in a non-existent electrical resistance, also called becoming a superconductor. This allows energy to pass through more easily than with traditional cabling.
Superconductivity is usually the goal of the critical temperature process. When a metal is cooled to this critical temperature, research has shown that it is a better conductor than wire at room temperature. There is no electrical resistance, so electrons can pass freely through this metal, resulting in almost no energy loss through heat. Superconducting circuits using metals cooled to a critical temperature can last several years with virtually no deterioration, compared with traditional systems that need to be replaced frequently due to heat.
Aluminum is considered an excellent metal to use with critical temperature superconductivity. Its light weight and malleability make it a prime choice for cables and other materials used in the conduction of electricity. Aluminum is often used in industries that need to pass large amounts of energy, such as a power plant or large factory.
Steel and its many alloys have been found to be another type of metal that handles this treatment well. The critical temperature of steel is useful in more ways than just conducting electricity. Isothermal annealing is a process created to control the rate of metal temperature changes, also called a temperature gradient, which has a particular piece of steel cooled to just above the critical temperature, then lowered below that point and brought back on. Quenching is another critical temperature process of steel that does not involve superconductivity or liquid nitrogen, but instead the metal is cooled to that point in water, oil, or brine to increase its carbon content.
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