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Science Fair Project Information
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Title: Superconductor Tapes: A Solution to the Rare Earth Materials' Shortage Crisis and the Resulting Strong Magnet Shortage in the Industry
Subject: Physics
Subcategory: Superconductivity / Electromagnetism
Grade level: High School / College - Grades 10-16
Academic Level: Advanced
Project Type: Experimental
Cost: High
Awards: Google Science Fair Finalist
Affiliation: Google Science Fair
Year: 2013
Equipment and Materials: Thin film superconductor tape, bulk superconductor puck, linear motion table, high linearity Hall probe, 1.5 Tesla electromagnet, cryogen container, liquid nitrogen
Concepts: Superconductivity
Description: Rare-Earth materials are used to make permanent magnets, which are needed for motors in electric cars and wind turbines. However, China, which controls 97% of rare-earth production, recently restricted their export of rare-earths. So, there is a world-wide incentive to develop strong magnets containing no or very small amounts of rare-earth materials. I thought of a solution to this problem: superconductors. Superconductor tapes are made by coating a thin film of superconductor on a metal tape. Only 2% of the tape contains the actual superconductor, and hence a very small amount of rare-earth: A possible solution for the crisis. Rare earth-Barium-Copper-Oxide (REBCO) superconductors are superconducting above the boiling temperature of liquid nitrogen (77 K) - they have zero resistance to the flow of current. Above a certain magnetic field, magnetic lines of force will penetrate a superconductor. As long as the superconductor is kept cold, the magnetic lines of force will be trapped in it. Now the superconductor becomes a magnet! It has been known that bulk, monolithic REBCO superconductors (pucks) can trap large magnetic fields and act as strong magnets.
Link: https://www.googlesciencefair.com/en/projects/ahJzfnNjaWVuY
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