Advanced Ceramics
New High-Temperature Superconductors
Magnesium diboride, MgB2, is one of the most promising developments for current conductivity without electrical resistance. MgB2 is a superconductor, i.e. a material that has an electrical resistance of exactly zero and no interior magnetic field below its critical temperature. Superconductors are used, for example, to produce the particularly high-performance magnets found in certain medical equipment. Such magnets are a crucial component of modern Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners.
|
MRI is an important imaging method in modern medical diagnosis that does not make use of potentially harmful ionizing radiation. It produces very accurate and highly differentiated images of all body tissues and thus offers valuable information for the medical evaluation of, for example, organs, cartilage and spinal discs.
Image right: An MRI scan of a rupture of the inner meniscus in the left knee. |
|
The modern MgB2 materials produced by H.C. Starck for superconductors have excellent application-specific properties, which have helped drive the development of even higher performing MRI scanners. Since MgB2-based superconductor magnets can operate at a significantly higher temperature than conventional superconductors, they are more energy-efficient, significantly reduce operating costs and are largely able to function without highly cooled and increasingly scarce liquid helium.
With this innovation, H.C. Starck and its development partners are helping make first-class medical care more accessible and more affordable.
High-Performance Electrolyte-Supported Cells for SOFC
In addition to its electrolyte-supported (ESC2) cells based on YSZ (Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2), H.C. Starck has developed a new high-performance cell with a considerably improved property profile. The ESC4 cells based on ytterbia-stabilized zirconia (YbSZ, Yb2O3-stabilized ZrO2) possess 60% increased electrochemical performance compared to the ESC2 cell. They also possess higher strengths than 8YSZ or Sc2O3/ZrO2 electrolytes. The ESC4 cell is therefore the material of choice for SOFC stacks with ferritic steel interconnectors – also due to the lower costs. H.C. Starck supplies ESC4 both as an electrolyte and as a full cell component.
|
The ESC4 cell is therefore the material of choice for SOFC stacks with ferritic steel interconnectors - also due to the lower costs. H.C. Starck supplies ESC4 both as an electrolyte and as a full cell component.
Image right: The new ESC4 cell developed by |
|
