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Methods used to strengthen metals generally also cause a pronounced decrease in electrical conductivity, so that a tradeoff must be made between conductivity and mechanical strength. We synthesized pure copper samples with a high density of nanoscale growth twins. They showed a tensile strength about 10 times higher than that of conventional coarse-grained copper, while retaining an electrical conductivity comparable to that of pure copper. The ultrahigh strength originates from the effective blockage of dislocation motion by numerous coherent twin boundaries that possess an extremely low electrical resistivity, which is not the case for other types of grain boundaries.

This cable is used in 154kV or higher overhead transmission lines. Lighter in weight than copper line and lower in cost, this product also has the advantage of higher tensile strength.

The 30-metre cable, as well as the terminals to connect it to a network, was constructed using a high-temperature superconducting material called BSCCO. The team that developed it says it’s the most advanced electric cable yet built in terms of its distribution capacity: it can transport five times more electrical strength than a conventional copper cable of the same dimensions.