Claims
- 1. A process of increasing the critical current density in a superconducting magnesium boride wire comprising:
forming a magnesium diboride precursor wire by filling a metallic tube with magnesium diboride powder and reducing said filled tube to a predetermined size; and, heating said magnesium diboride precursor wire under isostatic pressure in an inert atmosphere at temperatures and for time sufficient to form a superconducting magnesium boride wire characterized as having a higher critical current density than a superconducting magnesium boride wire heated under the same temperature conditions in the absence of isostatic pressing.
- 2. The process of claim 1 wherein said heating is at temperatures of from about 850° C. to about 950° C.
- 3. The process of claim 1 wherein said inert atmosphere is argon.
- 4. The process of claim 1 wherein said isostatic pressure is from about 150 to 250 MPa.
- 5. The process of claim 1 wherein a minor excess of magnesium powder in admixed with the magnesium diboride powder.
- 6. The process of claim 1 wherein said metal tube is of a metal selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, and iron, niobium and monel.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERAL RIGHTS
[0001] This invention was made with government support under Contract No. W-7405-ENG-36 awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The government has certain rights in the invention.