Sumitomo Electric to Launch New Superconducting Wire

Sumitomo Electric Industries announced on Tuesday the firm started sample shipment of bismuth based high temperature superconducting wire with 180 ampere of critical current value, named DI-BSCCO. The firm starts the mass production at Osaka plant by June end. The firm already markets high temperature superconducting wire with 150 ampere of critical current worldwide. The firm converts the existing line at Osaka plant for mass production of the wire with 180 ampere of critical current, which is the maximum transmitting current under superconducting. The wire is made with bismuth- strontium-calcium-copper oxide. The firm modifies the all processes from material powder making to wire drawing, rolling and baking to make the crystal structure uniform and zero defect. The firm succeeded world highest 200 ampere of critical current with DI-BSCCO in January 2006 and has tried to establish mass production technology. Wire with higher critical current could improve the electricity stability and energy efficiency for powder cable, transformer, motor, generator and electromagnet, which reduces total cost. DI-BSCCO’s electrical resistance becomes zero at 196 degree of centigrade, which is boiling point of liquid nitrogen, or less and the wire with one square millimeters of cross section can transmit maximum 200 ampere of current, which represents 150 times of copper conductor. The firm already shipped the wire with 150 ampere of critical current for construction test of superconducting power cable in USA and South Korea and for superconducting motor of vessels.