Flux Pinning Additions to Increase Jc Performance in BSCCO-2212 Round Wire for Very High Field Magnets

With the drive towards higher-field dipole magnets, the material requirements for superconductors have exceeded the performance of existing metal-based super conductor materials. For this reason, the ceramic superconductor, bismuth strontium calcium copper oxide (BSCCO-2212), in the form of a multifilamentary Ag alloy composite, is beginning to attract interest for future extremely-high-field magnets or magnet-insert coils. The material must achieve a critical engineering current density (Je) of at least 250 A/mm2 in a magnetic field of 12 Tesla at a temperature of 4.2K. This project will produce a commercially viable BSCCO-2212/Ag composite multifilamentary round wire with a Je value equal to or exceeding 600 A/mm2 at 12T and 4.2K. Phase I demonstrated the flux pinning properties of dopant materials added to BSCCO-2212, which improved the Je of superconducting BSCCO-2212/Ag composite tapes. Phase I also indicated that Je values equal to or greater that 600 A/mm2 could be achieved. The plan for Phase II is to scale-up the powder and wire production processes so that kilometer-length BSCCO-2212/Ag composite multifilamentary wires, with Je values equal to or greater that 600 A/mm2 at 4.2K and 12T, can be reliably produced. The initial commercial application for the BSCCO-2212/Ag composite wire should be in high field magnets for high energy physics experimentation. Other applications would involve medical MRI and other commercial applications where high field magnets are required.