Superconductor Technologies Inc. Awarded U.S. Patent for Unique Manufacturing Process
February 16 2017 - 6:30AM
– Strengthens Conductus Superconducting Wire IP
portfolio –
Superconductor Technologies Inc. (STI) (Nasdaq:SCON) was awarded a
U.S. Patent enabled by STI’s proprietary superconducting wire
manufacturing method. This patented process improves Conductus®
wire’s performance in the presence of a strong magnetic field.
U.S. Patent No. 9,564,258 entitled “Coated Conductor High
Temperature Superconductor Carrying High Critical Current Under
Magnetic Field By Intrinsic Pinning Centers, And Methods Of
Manufacture Of Same” from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
(USPTO), associated with U.S. Patent No. 9,362,025 announced in
June 2016, provides additional protection for STI’s unique
manufacturing process.
“This new patent protects the foundation from which we will
build high performance wire for our customers,” said Jeff Quiram,
STI's President and CEO. “The flexibility provided by our
proprietary manufacturing process enables STI to build
superconducting wire in very unique ways.”
The ability to carry high electrical current in the presence of
a strong magnetic field is a key enabler for the superconducting
applications of the future. Using a technique called pinning,
superconducting wire performance is dramatically improved. The
traditional approach is to add more elements when manufacturing the
superconducting layer, thereby increasing the complexity of an
already challenging process.
Quiram continued, “STI has demonstrated the ability to
incorporate pinning into our superconductor without using
additional elements. This technique is now protected, allowing STI
to meet the needs of our customers without the cost and difficulty
of an increasingly complex manufacturing process. We believe that
this will allow us to deliver the highest performing wire with high
manufacturing yields, enabling us to be a market leader. Our
proprietary RCE-CDR process makes Conductus wire ideal for
applications such as motors, generators, MRI and NMR machines that
require high in-field performance. We are excited about the growing
demand for more efficient alternatives to traditional materials and
designs, as well as our positioning in the industry.”
Reactive Co-evaporation and Cyclic Deposition
Reaction Rare Earth, Barium, Copper Oxide (ReBCO)
materials are recognized as a superior superconductor by offering
better performance in a magnetic field. STI’s RCE-CDR process grows
a ReBCO superconductor film onto a flexible template. This process
requires accurate temperature, uniform pressure, precise ratios of
elements and the presence of oxidizing atmospheres to grow high
performance superconducting materials. The company’s RCE-CDR system
is scaled for large batch operation to insure every portion of
superconducting wire has uniform material properties.
About Superconductor Technologies Inc.
(STI)Superconductor Technologies Inc. is a global leader
in superconducting innovation. Its Conductus® superconducting wire
platform offers high performance, cost-effective and scalable
superconducting wire. With 100 times the current carrying capacity
of conventional copper and aluminum, superconducting wire offers
zero resistance with extreme high current density. This provides a
significant benefit for electric power transmission and also
enables much smaller or more powerful magnets for motors,
generators, energy storage and medical equipment. Since 1987, STI
has led innovation in HTS materials, developing more than 100
patents as well as proprietary trade secrets and manufacturing
expertise. For more than 20 years STI utilized its unique HTS
manufacturing process for solutions to maximize capacity
utilization and coverage for Tier 1 telecommunications operators.
Headquartered in Austin, TX, Superconductor Technologies Inc.'s
common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the
ticker symbol “SCON.” For more information about STI, please visit
http://www.suptech.com.
Safe Harbor
Statement Statements in this press release
regarding our business that are not historical facts are
"forward-looking statements" that involve risks and
uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees
of future performance and are inherently subject to uncertainties
and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ
materially from the forward-looking statements. These factors and
uncertainties include, but are not limited to: our limited cash and
a history of losses; our need to materially grow our revenues from
commercial operations and/or to raise additional capital (which
financing may not be available on acceptable terms or at all) in
the very near future, before cash reserves are depleted (which
reserves are expected to be sufficient into the first quarter of
2017), to implement our current business plan and maintain our
viability; the performance and use of our equipment to produce wire
in accordance with our timetable; overcoming technical challenges
in attaining milestones to develop and manufacture commercial
lengths of our HTS wire; the possibility of delays in customer
evaluation and acceptance of our HTS wire; the limited number of
potential customers and customer pressures on the selling prices of
our products; the limited number of suppliers for some of our
components and our HTS wire; there being no significant backlog
from quarter to quarter; our market being characterized by rapidly
advancing technology; the impact of competitive products,
technologies and pricing; manufacturing capacity constraints and
difficulties; the impact of any financing activity on the level of
our stock price; the dilutive impact of any issuances of securities
to raise capital; the steps required to maintain the listing of our
common stock with a U.S. national securities exchange and the
impact on the liquidity and trading price of our common stock if we
fail to maintain such listing; the cost and uncertainty from
compliance with environmental regulations; and local, regional, and
national and international economic conditions and events and the
impact they may have on us and our customers.
Forward-looking statements can be affected by many other
factors, including, those described in the "Business" and
"Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations" sections of STI's Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2015 and in STI's other public
filings. These documents are available online at STI's website,
www.suptech.com, or through the SEC's website, www.sec.gov.
Forward-looking statements are based on information presently
available to senior management, and STI has not assumed any duty to
update any forward-looking statements.
Investor Relations ContactCathy Mattison or
Kirsten ChapmanLHA
+1-415-433-3777
invest@suptech.com
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