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Which metallic elements become superconducting at low temperatures and ordinary pressure?

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Figure 1: Specific heat in the normal (Cen) and superconducting (Ces) states of a classic superconductor as a function of absolute temperature. The two functions are identical at the transition temperature (Tc) and above Tc. — superconductivity Figure 1: Specific heat in the normal (C_en) and superconducting (C_es) states of a classic superconductor as a function of absolute temperature. The two functions are identical at the transition temperature (T_c) and above T_c.

There are 27 chemical elements that exhibit superconductivity in their standard crystallographic forms at low temperatures and ordinary (atmospheric) pressure. All of these elements are metals.1

Common examples of these metallic superconductors include:
* Aluminum
* Tin
* Lead
* Mercury

Other examples include less common metals such as rhenium, lanthanum, and protactinium. Among the elements, niobium possesses the highest transition temperature at 9.2 K, while tungsten has the lowest at 0.015 K.12

It is important to note that superconductivity is not exhibited by magnetic elements such as iron, cobalt, nickel, manganese, or chromium. While other elements can become superconducting, they often require high-pressure conditions or specific, highly disordered preparations to achieve the superconducting state.1