Metal Oxide Technologies
- Founded in 1997, Houston-based Metal Oxide Technologies Inc. has developed a proprietary technology to produce high-temperature superconducting ("HTS") wire at commercial price levels. The Company currently holds a non-exclusive worldwide license from the University of Houston to a material
(YBCO) developed by the Texas Center for Superconductivity and an exclusive worldwide license to deposition technology developed by the Space Vacuum Epitaxy Center, affiliates of UH.
The basic science for MetOx's revolutionary epitaxial growth production technology was advanced through SVEC experiments flown on three NASA space shuttle flights in 1994, 1995, and 1996. The Wake Shield Facility shuttle experiments ( see photo) advanced earth based epitaxial growth technology in the near perfect vacuum of earth orbit. MetOx has applied for 23 US and foreign patents to protect its intellectual property.
The company is currently operating a continuous production system and producing HTS wire products using this system. The company plans to have this prototype production system optimized and ready to make long lengths of commercially marketable HTS wire shortly. It further plans to expand its HTS wire production capability with 1-2 additional larger scale production lines. At this stage or as soon as feasible, MetOx expects to apply its process to manufacture different sized wires with different current densities, connectors and HTS coated shapes to expand the applications of its second-generation HTS wire.
Superconductors are near perfect conductors of electricity. Below certain critical temperatures, they carry direct and alternating current with no resistance, avoiding the loss of energy due to resistive heating. HTS and their technological predecessor, low-temperature superconductors ("LTS"), provide significant advantages over copper and aluminum in practically all high current electrical application. Existing production of HTS wire has allowed the testing of a variety of these application, but none of the existing production systems can produce HTS material today at cost levels that encourage widespread commercial use. MetOx is completing the development and testing of a proprietary, "single pass" manufacturing processes that will allow it to produce HTS wire at a fraction of existing production costs. The annual market for commercially viable HTS wire is expected to exceed $30B.
