Expedited Award for Novel Research: Investigation of the Novel Processing Technique for Fabrication of Flexible High Tc Superconducting Wire

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This project deals with a fabrication technique for producing flexible superconductor wire by employing a novel processing technique and a composite of yttrium-barium-copper-oxygen system plus silver oxide. During the course of processing, the oxygen stoichiometry of the ceramic superconducting material will be maintained at the desired level, thus obviating the need to regenerate superconductivity by heat treatment. Prior work using an optical and a scanning electron microscope revealed a dense microstructure and absence of cracks. Fractured surface showed the mixed mode fracture behavior of the composite material and the evidence of ductility. The as-extruded wires showed Meissner effect at a significantly high field and the magnetic susceptibility measurements showed the onset temperature of 91K. This project is addressed to optimize the process parameters, to improve texture and hence the current density of the extruded wire. It is also possible that the sintered billet can be cold extruded for lower extrusion ratios and after process annealing the extruded wire can be drawn to finer dimensions. Another novel processing technique of ultrasonic wire drawing for fabricating fine flexible wires of these superconducting ceramic composites will also be explored in this project.