Possible replacement for copper?

[cyrano]

Uni Chicago just published a way to make an entirely new class of materials. They can be made like plastics, but are good conductors for electric current. And they seem fairly indistructable.

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists...be-made-like-plastic-but-conducts-like-metal/
Looks like a real breakthrough.

 

[JohnRoberts]

Last I checked nickel and carbon are conductors... I didn't see any mention of ohms per square.

JR

 

[cyrano]

Nickel is a metal. As the article states, metals are expected to be good conductors. Except for iron, most metals are more or less rare.

Some forms of carbon are some of the examples of lower conductivity. But these aren't low resistance in any way. Nor are the other examples (Ammonium sulfate, calcium chloride, hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, sodium phosphate to name just a few). The last ones happen to be used as electrolytes.

Ionised water is also a fair conductor. But you can hardly make cables from liquids, do you?