MANUFACTURE OF HIGH T(C) SUPERCONDUCTING COMPOSITE WIRES

IN ORDER TO USE THE NEW CERAMIC SUPERCONDUCTOR MATERIALS IN MANY APPLICATIONS, THE NORMALLY BRITTLE MATERIALS MUST BE FORMED INTO WIRES. THIS PROPOSAL SUGGESTS A WET CHEMISTRY TECHNIQUE FOR FORMING THE SUPERCONDUCTOR COMPOUND INTO A WIRE, WHICH WILL THEN BE COATED WITH A METAL JACKET TO PROTECT THE WIRE FORM PHYSICAL ABUSE AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION. BECAUSE THE COATING PROCESS WILL BE ESSENTIALLY INDEPENDENT FROM THE SUPERCONDUCTOR FIBER FORMING PROCESS, EACH PROCESS MAY BE OPTIMIZED INDEPENDENTLY.