Enhancement of Bi2212 Powder Consistency to Support Manufacture of High-Performance HTS Wire

C56-36c-272696The Department of Energy’s Office of High Energy Physics promotes the development of state-of-the-art particle accelerators for cutting-edge experimentation. To support these advances, improved high- temperature superconducting (HTS) wires are required in order to build high-field magnets that generate magnetic fields greater than 18 T. One key material for the development of HTS wire is Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x (Bi2212). Although high- performance Bi2212 wire has been previously reported, the next necessary step to support commercialization is to achieve precise batch-to-batch consistency of the Bi2212 powder used to manufacture the wire. Engi-Mat will perform a detailed analytical investigation of as-produced Bi2212 precursor powder and final Bi2212 powder to identify the most critical powder production parameters and characteristics to ensure a consistent powder supply for high-performance HTS wire. In Phase I, Engi-Mat will conduct a Design of Experiments to evaluate the impact of different powder production settings. Digital imaging analysis of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) collected by the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory will be used to assess the uniformity of the Bi2212 powder. One optimal batch of Bi2212 powder will be selected for the fabrication of a one-kilogram HTS wire billet by Bruker OST. The development of high-field superconducting magnets based on HTS wire support advancement in scientific research, health, and energy. Superconducting magnets are critical components of large-scale particle accelerators for experimentation to broaden our understanding of fundamental physics concepts. In the area of health, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) instruments rely on newer and better superconducting magnets to provide higher resolution imaging for diagnostic capabilities. Lastly, the burgeoning field of fusion energy, which represents a shift away from high-carbon-emission energy sources, will utilize superconducting magnets in very large volumes.