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A ceramic, relatively fragile superconductor can be powdered and embedded in a flexible material, like a polymer, and retain superconducting properties. You see
by observationist 3y ago
A ceramic, relatively fragile superconductor can be powdered and embedded in a flexible material, like a polymer, and retain superconducting properties. You see this in use currently with relatively high temperature superconductors, where flexible cables are able to be produced. As long as you have unbroken chain of connections from end to end, in some material the orientation doesn't matter, you just need tiny little bits that are touching eachother sufficient to make an electrical path.
Other materials, like glass, oils, metals, liquids, can serve as an embedded substrate, which can then be encapsulated by a flexible surface material. LK-99, with as much lead content as it had, would be difficult in terms of consumer safety, but graphite is trivial. If you could produce a sufficient quantity of superconducting particles to embed in polymer, then insulate cord, tape, or other flexible form factors, you wouldn't have to worry to much about disposal and recycling. LK-99 would be a possible toxic addition and probably not great for the world, even with superconducting features, in a public commercial context.