Domestic, high-quality 2212 precursor powder for high temperature superconducting round wires

High temperature superconducting (HTS) BSCCO 2212 based wires provide the opportunity for ground breaking advances in the field levels of magnets, while greatly reducing their weight, size and power consumption. This project will establish key elements of an innovative approach for producing superior precursor HTS powder that will be applied in the development and production of leading edge 2212 superconductors that are poised to propel high field magnet technology well beyond the current state-of-the-art. Test bed capability and process property correlations will be established for producing high purity powder and the ability to dial in and control composition, phase content and optimal particle morphologies for wire processing. This will serve as the basis for a pilot operation that will supply 2212 conductor development and production. Applications that benefit from this kind of 2212 conductor include 1) High field MRI machines used widely in medical and pharmaceutical research, 2) advanced NMR systems that are used in the development of new and improved materials 3) the Muon Collider development program that is a cornerstone of US High Energy Physics research, and 4) research magnets beyond the current 44 T limit that enable new developments in materials, physics and imaging.