Akzo NV became the first company from...

Akzo NV became the first company from any nation to receive a U.S. patent in the field of high-temperature superconductivity. The Dutch chemical company upset a wide range of U.S., Japanese and European companies that have been working in the field. Superconductors carry electricity without any loss of energy and could someday be part of tiny computers that run at unprecedented speeds, batteries that last forever and other technological marvels. Although Akzo is based in Arnhem, Netherlands, it said its research was done at its laboratory in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., by Fawzy A. Sherif.