EXTRUSION OF HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTING MATERIALS

INITIAL TRIALS HAVE SHOWN THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE, ELEVATED TEMPERATURE EXTRUSION PROCESS IS USEFUL FOR CONVERTING THE YBA(2)CU(3)O(7)-X (123) SUPERCONDUCTING OXIDE INTO DENSE SHAPES. ALTHOUGH THIS PROCESS IS COMMONLY USED IN THE METALWORKING INDUSTRY, IT IS NOT COMMONLY USED FOR CERAMIC EXTRUSION. BY INTRODUCING A THICK, DUCTILE, METALLIC, OUTERENCLOSURE IT IS POSSIBLE TO OBTAIN DUCTILE BEHAVIOR FROM A BRITTLE MATERIAL INSIDE THE BILLET: THE 123 SUPERCONDUCTING OXIDE. SINCE THE EXTRUSION PROCESS RELIES ON DEFORMATION ATELEVATED TEMPERATURE, THE DESIRED ORTHORHOMBIC STRUCTURE MAYBE TRANSFORMED TO THE UNWANTED TETRAGONAL STRUCTURE. TO LIMIT THIS TRANSFORMATION, EXTRUSIONS WILL BE PERFORMED IN THIS PROJECT USING CONTROLLED TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE CONDITIONS IN THE PRESENCE OF OXYGEN.