Since you can cool conductive materials to make them super-conductive, this made we wonder if a non-conductive substance, like plastic for example, will become conductive if one lowers its temperature enough.
No. Superconductors have an inherently superconducting structure, but their molecular motion interferes with the effect; they can only do it when this motion is reduced to a necessary maximum.
There is nothing about plastics or other nonconductors that would make them any more conductive when cold, although I can imagine a material that only conducts when it’s warm, and I’m sure there are many that stop conducting when they’re heated enough.
Thanks Nametag!
Actually, I distinctly remember reading that supercooled rubber will in fact conduct electricity. If I recall correctly, it was in the '95 pr '96 Encarta Encyclopedia, but I’ll have to check elsewhere. Whether this holds true for other materials, I have no idea.
I looked in my Encarta Encylopedia Deluxe 2001, and no article with “rubber” and “conduct” had anything to do with the conductivity of rubber.