We can also alter material to make it more useful. Fast neutrons
can be used to introduce defects into a material in a very
controlled manner that actually improves its performance. Not surprisingly
then, collaborative efforts at MURR involve a broad range of investigations
in basic and applied materials science.
Magnets are an essential part of electric motors,
sensors and many other high tech products. High performance, permanent
magnets characterized and improved at MURR in the 1980s and 1990s
can replace electromagnets in many applications, reducing weight
and cost and improving reliability. Such studies seek to understand
mechanisms behind changes in composition, structure and temperature
to improve magnetic materials even further.
High temperature superconductors have the potential
to revolutionize the way we do many things. Superconductors are
high-tech materials that conduct electricity without resistance,
which means that no electricity is lost or wasted. Although most
superconductors require very low (translate COLD!) temperatures
(-450° F), new materials have been
discovered that are superconducting at temperatures as "high"
as -235°
F. While still very cold, these temperatures are much easier to
reach than -450 ° F. Many believe
that we can use superconducting magnets to levitate high-speed trains
that can travel up to 300 miles per hour! [Riding on a cushion of
magnetism would provide a smooth, frictionless ride.] Other less
dramatic, but equally important applications are predicted for power
transmission, medicine, and telecommunications. For example, as
much as 20% of the electricity generated by power plants today is
lost before it reaches the consumer—lost as heat just from pushing
the electricity through the wires. Superconductivity would eliminate
this loss, saving billions of dollars annually.
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University of Missouri-Columbia
