High-purity 2212 superconducting powder in sealed hermetic billets

There is a market demand in the area of the coils used in MRI/NMR machines, accelerator magnets and wind generators, for 2212 superconductor-based round wire, if it is available with the capacity to carry higher currents, and without the filament defects commonly present in existing wires. However, 2212 wire that is suitable for meeting this commercial demand cannot be produced until the quality of the 2212 powder, the most vital component that forms the superconducting filaments, is improved. In this Phase 2 SBIR Project, Solid Material Solutions, LLC (SMS) will establish 1) pilot commercial scale production ofn high-purity 2212 powder by a low cost, single step approach that immediately packs and seals the powder into a container (billet), and 2) development of a powder for packing that enables fewer defects and superior electrical current when processed into wire. The impurity content of this powder is at less than half the levels specified in standard available powder. These developments are important to magnet builders because 2212 wire produced with these billets would be free from many types of filament defects, superior in consistency, lower in cost and able to carry higher current. These improvements are critical to enabling the production of 2212 wire that can satisfy market demand. For the scientific community these 2212 wires will be of benefit in the areas of accelerator, fusion, high field and NMR imaging magnets by allowing the completion of experiments that are critical to making major scientific advances, but which are impossible to accomplish today. For improving health and longevity, these wires would make the diagnostic capability of MRI available to people in many parts of the world where it is now unavailable due to the way the MRI system is cooled. Today the magnet in an MRI machine must use liquid helium to maintain the required low temperatures (4K). Liquid helium is not available in many parts of the world because it is difficult to produce, store and transport. 2212 wires containing our billets will make MRI diagnostics more widely available because these wires can operate in warmer temperatures (20K) that do not require liquid helium cooling. For improving the environment, wind generators made with these 2212 wires will be much lower in weight than present generators (250 tons instead of 400 tons). This weight decrease makes it much more economically viable to build wind generators off shore where wind conditions are more reliable.