In August, the world of physics was rocked by the alleged discovery of a room-temperature superconductor by scientists at the South Korean Quantum Energy Research Center. The material named LK-99 raises many questions because if true it will be the answer to the production of sustainable energy sources and more efficient electric vehicles. But the claims of South Korea's Quantum Energy Research Center scientists have been denied by international scientists who have conducted equivalent studies.
Now the Korean Society of Superconductivity and Cryogenics is saying that LK-99's claims to be a superconductor are unfounded after it failed to reproduce in tests at eight local laboratories. The Meisner effect and zero resistance that should exist in superconducting materials were not detected in LK-99.
LK-99 is produced using compounds of copper, lead, phosphorus and oxygen. But the presence of impurities in the form of copper sulphide causes LK-99 to display superconducting characteristics, which is low electrical resistance and floats in a magnetic field. South Korea's Quantum Energy Research Center also refused to provide samples of LK-99 produced by them for testing.
Tags
SCIENCES