Our electrical supply depends heavily on high-voltage direct current cables that can efficiently transfer electricity across great distances. Therefore, improving their performance is a significant challenge. Researchers from the Technology University of Chalmers in Sweden have developed a novel insulation material that is up to three times less conductive with the intention of enhancing...
The material keyboard realized by the ETH Zurich researchers. By applying electric voltages (“keys”) at different points, the magic-angle graphene can become locally superconducting (electron pairs) or isolating (barrier on the right). Credit: ETH Zurich / F. de VriesResearchers at ETH Zurich have turned specially prepared graphene flakes into insulators or superconductors by using...
The new material is based on polyethylene, which is used for insulation in existing HVDC cables. Now, by adding very small amounts – 5 parts per million – of the conjugated polymer known as poly(3-hexylthiophene), the researchers were able to lower the electrical conductivity by up to three times. Credit: Yen Strandqvist/Chalmers University of...
Researchers from Brown University and the University of Maryland have developed a new material derived from trees that could replace liquid electrolytes in next-generation batteries. Published in the journal Nature, the study introduces a thin and flexible solid ion conductor made by combining copper with cellulose nanofibrils, which are polymer tubes derived from wood....
