Silver News

Superconductor Pioneers Honored With Nobel Prize

Vitaly L. Ginzburg, Alexei A. Abrikosov and Anthony Leggett shared the 2003 Nobel Prize in Physics in December for their pioneering work in superfluids and superconductors - of which silver is a key component. Superconductivity allows certain materials, such as ceramics, to carry large electrical current without the resistance losses of conventional materials such as copper. Silver sheathing provides a protective and inert barrier for the ceramic and represents about half of an average electrical cable’s weight. HTS are used in electric power devices such as motors and generators, medical diagnostic technology and for electricity transmission in power lines. Superconducting power equipment typically will be half the size and have half the energy losses compared to conventional equipment.

Within the next decade the superconducting wire market may consume 50 million ounces of silver or more every year, according to industry estimates.

Speaking about the award recipients, Secretary of the Department of Energy Spencer Abraham said: "Through their efforts, tremendous strides are being made in understanding these processes, leading to the development of new superconducting materials and technologies that have great promise to benefit the entire world."

Silver News - First Quarter 2004