Dr. Taysir Nayfeh honored for ultraconductive wire that is expected to improve electrical systems and devices

CLEVELAND (June 5, 2014) – Dr. Taysir Nayfeh of Cleveland State University has received the Trailblazer in Copper Technology Award for his game-changing research into ultraconductive copper wire with the potential to dramatically improve electrical systems and devices.

The Copper Development Association presented the award to Dr. Nayfeh in May during the Nano-Carbon Enhanced Materials Consortium in Cambridge, Mass.

“I am gratified and humbled by this honor,” said Dr. Nayfeh, a professor of mechanical engineering at CSU. “This is a wonderful validation of our work at Cleveland State University, which we hope will benefit industries around the world.”

Dr. Nayfeh and his CSU research team, which includes Senior Research Engineer Anita Wiederholt and Graduate Research Assistant Jamal Chehab, have developed a nanocomposite copper wire whose ultraconductive properties surpass the electrical conductivities of any known material on Earth.

The nanocomposite copper wire is currently more than twice as conductive as pure copper and with continuous improvement could ultimately reach more than 100 times the conductivity of copper. It promises to improve the performance of electric machines and dramatically reduce the size and weight of motors. It also will reduce losses in electrical power lines.

This breakthrough could revolutionize a wide range of applications, from residential wiring to the creation of lighter high-performance motors for aircraft, electric cars, electric submarines and other vehicles.