Combustion Chemical Vapor Deposition of High Temperature Ceramic Insulator Coatings on Superconductor Wire

50261-98-I Combustion Chemical Vapor Deposition (CCVD) of High Temperature Ceramic Insulator Coatings on Superconductor Wire--CCVD, Inc., dba MicroCoating Technologies, 3901 Green Industrial Way, Chamblee, GA 30341-1913; (770) 457-8400 Dr. T. Jan Hwang, Principal Investigator Mr. Jerome J. Schmitt, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-98ER82545 Amount: $75,000 This project will develop a cost-effective process to deposit high temperature dielectric coatings onto superconductor wires in order to (a) reduce the insulator thickness and lead to more compact wires, coils, cable and other superconductor devices; and (b) enable the use of the wind-then-react (W/R) process to reduce strains in the wires and ease the winding/coiling process. This project will use the open atmosphere CCVD process to deposit an insulating, electronics-grade, micron-scale ceramic thin film onto superconductor wires. The film will be able to insulate 50-100 volts and be compatible with high temperature reactions in the 750-900¿C range. The production-friendly coated wire (>100m lengths) would also be able to withstand high strains during wire handling and winding/coiling process. Zirconium and cerium-based oxygen permeable oxides with dopants will be deposited on the silver-clad BSCCO Bi2212 wires. The coated samples will be tested for mechanical integrity and for insulation effectiveness after heat treatment to 900¿C with minimal insulator thickness. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The CCVD technique can be readily incorporated in the powder-in-tube process for superconducting wire. Using CCVD to deposit high temperature insulator on superconductor wires can aid in the production of long-length superconductor wire and broaden the use of superconductor coils in small and complex components. _