Magnesium diboride (MgB2), a binary compound, behaves as a superconductor – a substance that offers no resistance to electric current flowing through it – at a moderate temperature of around 39 K (-234°C). This temperature can be achieved using relatively inexpensive liquid hydrogen or neon coolants. In addition, MgB2 is inexpensive, lightweight, and non-toxic, and its precursors – magnesium (Mg) and boron (B) – are abundantly available. As a result, it can replace conventional low-temperature superconductors that require expensive liquid helium for cooling and substitute magnets based on neodymium, a rare element, as well as iron and boron.
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