-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueDon’t Just Survive, Thrive
If we are to be relevant and prosper during these next critical decades in electronics, we must do more than survive. As an industry, we can and must thrive. In this issue, our contributors explore these concepts meant to help you take your business to the next level.
Material Matters
Materials management is nuanced, multifaceted, and requires a holistic systems approach for business success. When building high mix, low volume, and high technology, managing materials and overall cost containment are even greater challenges.
Additive Manufacturing
In this month’s issue, we explore additive manufacturing technology for the PCB fabricator: where it stands today, the true benefits, and where it seems to be headed.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
Estimated reading time: 1 minute
![](https://iconnect007.com/application/files/3616/3116/1066/pete-starkey-300.jpg)
Contact Columnist Form
Bulk High-Temperature Superconductors for High Field Apps
At the fourth annual conference of the Innovative Electronics Manufacturing Research Centre, at Loughborough, UK September 2, 2009, David Cardwell, Professor of Superconductor Engineering at the University of Cambridge, gave a presentation entitled Bulk High Temperature Superconductors for High Field Applications, illustrated with live demonstrations of magnetic levitation accompanied by dramatic stage-smoke effects from the liquid nitrogen he used to cool his superconductor samples. In his context, "high-temperature" referred to the boiling point of liquid nitrogen, 77°K, (-196°C), as opposed to that of liquid helium, 4°K. The only class of superconductor material suitable for 77°K operation was large-grain, boundary-free Rare-Earth Barium Copper Oxide, the rare-earth options being Yttrium, Samarium or Neodymium. The Yttrium-based material YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO), processed in the form of large single grains by melt processing and peritectic solidification, offered the best short-term opportunity. Professor Cardwell discussed the bulk microstructure of YBCO, and explained the effect of second-phase inclusions on the flux-pinning capability of the material. Methods had now been developed to incorporate nano-scale inclusions into the bulk structure, and a 10-200nm nano-phase based on RE2Ba4CuMOy had been shown to form effective artificial flux-pinning sites. Although these materials required further refinement in microstructural homogeneity, they appeared extremely promising for improved critical-current-density bulk superconductors. There were potential applications in magnetic bearings, flywheel energy storage, motors, generators and NMR imagers.To see Professor Cardwell's full presentation, click here.
More Columns from The European Angle
CircuitData: A New Open Standard for PCB Fab Data ExchangeI Never Realised It Was So Complicated!
The European Angle: Institute of Circuit Technology 43rd Annual Symposium
Ventec International Group's Martin Cotton Celebrates 50 Years in PCB Design
Reporting on the Institute of Circuit Technology Spring Seminar
EuroTech: Raw Materials Supply Chain—Critical Challenges Facing the PCB Industry
EuroTech: ENIPIG—Next Generation of PCB Surface Finish
EuroTech: Institute of Circuit Technology Northern Seminar 2016, Harrogate