Claims
- 1. A process for manufacturing a Nb3Sn superconductor comprising the steps of establishing multiple niobium components in a billet of a ductile metal, working the composite billet through a series of reduction steps to form said niobium components into elongated elements, each said element having a thickness on the order of 1 to 25 microns, surrounding said billet with a porous confining layer of an acid resistant metal, immersing said confined billet in an acid to remove said ductile metal from between the niobium elements while the niobium elements remain confined by said porous layer, immersing the confined mass of niobium elements in a liquid metal containing tin to coat said niobium elements with said liquid metal and subsequently reacting said tin with the Nb filaments to form Nb3Sn, the liquid metal being a copper alloy containing up to 95 wt % Sn and at least 13 wt % Sn.
- 2. The process of claim 1, wherein the metal bath contains about 23% Sn.
- 3. The process of claim 1, wherein the liquid metal coated niobium is rapidly quenched after removal from the metal bath.
- 4. The process of claim 1, wherein the liquid metal bath contains 0.2 to 0.5 wt % Ti.
- 5. The process of claim 1, wherein the Nb component contains at least one metal from the group consisting of Zr, Ti, Ta and Hf.
- 6. The process of claim 5 wherein the Nb component is Nb-1wt % Zr.
- 7. The process of claim 5 wherein the Nb component is Nb-1.8wt % Ti.
- 8. The process of claim 5 wherein the Nb component is Nb-10wt % Hf-1wt % Ti.
- 9. This process of claim 5 wherein the Nb component is Nb-7.5 wt % Ta.
- 10. A superconducting Conductor containing a plurality of Niobium Filaments, each said wire having a thickness on the order of 1 to 25 microns, each Niobium Filaments having a surface layer of Nb3Sn alloy which is at least 10 microns thick, said Conductor having a Jc of at least 1,000 A/mm2 at 4.2° K and in a field of 12 Tesla.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is in part a continuation of my copending application Ser. No. 09/532,362 filed Mar. 21, 2000. The subject matter of said patent application is included herein in its entirety.
Provisional Applications (3)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60130079 |
Apr 1999 |
US |
|
60144430 |
Jul 1999 |
US |
|
60165099 |
Nov 1999 |
US |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09532362 |
Mar 2000 |
US |
Child |
09753200 |
Jan 2001 |
US |