US3325888A - Method of making a superconductor by sintering powdered metals - Google Patents

Method of making a superconductor by sintering powdered metals Download PDF

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US3325888A
US3325888A US257108A US25710863A US3325888A US 3325888 A US3325888 A US 3325888A US 257108 A US257108 A US 257108A US 25710863 A US25710863 A US 25710863A US 3325888 A US3325888 A US 3325888A
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pellets
niobium
tin
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powder
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Weinig Sheldon
George T Murray
Steven D Hurwitt
Drory H Ben-Israel
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Materials Research Corp
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    • HELECTRICITY
    • H10SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10NELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N60/00Superconducting devices
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22CALLOYS
    • C22C1/00Making non-ferrous alloys
    • C22C1/04Making non-ferrous alloys by powder metallurgy
    • C22C1/045Alloys based on refractory metals
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22CALLOYS
    • C22C27/00Alloys based on rhenium or a refractory metal not mentioned in groups C22C14/00 or C22C16/00
    • C22C27/02Alloys based on vanadium, niobium, or tantalum
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10STECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S428/00Stock material or miscellaneous articles
    • Y10S428/922Static electricity metal bleed-off metallic stock
    • Y10S428/9265Special properties
    • Y10S428/93Electric superconducting
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10STECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S428/00Stock material or miscellaneous articles
    • Y10S428/922Static electricity metal bleed-off metallic stock
    • Y10S428/9335Product by special process
    • Y10S428/94Pressure bonding, e.g. explosive
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10STECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S505/00Superconductor technology: apparatus, material, process
    • Y10S505/80Material per se process of making same
    • Y10S505/815Process of making per se
    • Y10S505/818Coating
    • Y10S505/821Wire
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10STECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S505/00Superconductor technology: apparatus, material, process
    • Y10S505/80Material per se process of making same
    • Y10S505/815Process of making per se
    • Y10S505/823Powder metallurgy
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10STECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S505/00Superconductor technology: apparatus, material, process
    • Y10S505/825Apparatus per se, device per se, or process of making or operating same
    • Y10S505/917Mechanically manufacturing superconductor
    • Y10S505/918Mechanically manufacturing superconductor with metallurgical heat treating
    • Y10S505/919Reactive formation of superconducting intermetallic compound
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10STECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S505/00Superconductor technology: apparatus, material, process
    • Y10S505/825Apparatus per se, device per se, or process of making or operating same
    • Y10S505/917Mechanically manufacturing superconductor
    • Y10S505/918Mechanically manufacturing superconductor with metallurgical heat treating
    • Y10S505/919Reactive formation of superconducting intermetallic compound
    • Y10S505/921Metal working prior to treating
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10TTECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T29/00Metal working
    • Y10T29/49Method of mechanical manufacture
    • Y10T29/49002Electrical device making
    • Y10T29/49014Superconductor
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10TTECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T428/00Stock material or miscellaneous articles
    • Y10T428/12All metal or with adjacent metals
    • Y10T428/12014All metal or with adjacent metals having metal particles
    • Y10T428/12028Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, etc.]
    • Y10T428/12063Nonparticulate metal component
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10TTECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T428/00Stock material or miscellaneous articles
    • Y10T428/12All metal or with adjacent metals
    • Y10T428/12493Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, joint, etc.]
    • Y10T428/12771Transition metal-base component
    • Y10T428/12806Refractory [Group IVB, VB, or VIB] metal-base component
    • Y10T428/12812Diverse refractory group metal-base components: alternative to or next to each other
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10TTECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T428/00Stock material or miscellaneous articles
    • Y10T428/12All metal or with adjacent metals
    • Y10T428/12493Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, joint, etc.]
    • Y10T428/12771Transition metal-base component
    • Y10T428/12806Refractory [Group IVB, VB, or VIB] metal-base component
    • Y10T428/12819Group VB metal-base component

Definitions

  • Superconductivity is defined as the state in which materials exhibit almost zero resistance to flow of electric current. This phenomenon occurs at extremely low temperatures. Niobium-tin has the highest transition temperature, i.e. the point at Which the material starts super conducting, of any material so far investigated. Nb Sn becomes superconducting at 18 Kelvin (-255 C.), however, after bending the superconductivity is usually lost. Since the most immediate application of this material is as a winding for magnets, this has been a problem which has plagued the art.
  • the method of the present invention has provided a Nb sn superconductor which can be bent without loss of the superconducting properties and consequently constitutes a breakthrough which provides the art with a long sought product.
  • the method of the present invention involves pelletizing a mixture of elemental niobium and tin powders containing about 70-80% by weight niobium and about 30-20% by Weight tin, sintering the pellets at about 950- ll00 C. for about 4-48 hours to form a Nb-Sn alloy; inserting said pellets in a ductile metal sheath such as copper; drawing, rolling or swaging said sheath to produce a wire or ribbon or the like having a Nb-Sn core and an outer layer of the ductile metal, and then subjecting the resultant material to an elevated temperature of about 950-1100 C. for about 6-48 hours.
  • a ductile metal sheath such as copper
  • drawing, rolling or swaging said sheath to produce a wire or ribbon or the like having a Nb-Sn core and an outer layer of the ductile metal
  • elemental niobium and tin powders of about 325 mesh are thoroughly mixed in roughly a 3/1 ratio of niobium to tin, eg from about 70% to about 80% niobium and from about 30% to about 20% tin.
  • This powder mixture is then pressed to form pellets or slugs.
  • the compaction pressure is of the order of about 120,000 psi. which provides pellets or slugs having a density of about 7 grams/ cm
  • the pellets are then sintered at a temperature of 950-1100 C. for 4-48 hours, preferably at about 1000 C. for about 16 hours, to form a Nb-Sn alloy, e.g. Nb Sn.
  • a sheath or tube or the like of a ductile metal such as copper, nickel, Monel, inconel, niobium or stainless steel is packed tightly with the Nb-Sn alloy pellets. It also may be desirable to reduce the pellets to powder form and then fiil the ductile metal tube with powder.
  • the filled tube or sheath is then reduced to the desired size of wire or ribbon by rolling, drawing, swaging, or any combination thereof and then the wire or ribbon is annealed or subjected to an elevated temperature, in the range of 950-1100 C. for about 6-48 hours, preferably at about 950 C. for 16 hours.
  • the initial diameter of the tube may be any convenient size and the final diameter of the drawn conductor may vary from about 0.005 inch to about 0.050 inch, depending on the intended end use thereof.
  • a modified method according to the present invention involves the similar mixin and preparation of the initial pellets and sintering to provide the niobium-tin alloy. Then the pellets are again reduced to about 325 mesh powder and such powder is mixed with up to about 30% by Weight of a mixture of powdered elemental niobium and tin being in substantially the same relative proportions as in the powdered alloy. Then the resulting mixture is pelletized, the pellets inserted into a niobium tube or sheath and the latter is reduced to a wire or ribbon and then subjected to a temperature of about 950-1l00 C. for about 6-8 hours.
  • the superconducting wire or ribbon produced by the above methods provide reliability of long lengths due to ease of fabrication, can be bent without afiecting the superconductivity, and are in fact less expensive to produce than prior art materials having the same properties.
  • Such superconductors have high current carrying capacities in high strength magnetic fields and are suitable for use in solenoids, magnets, gyroscopes, switches, etc.
  • the present methods can also be used with superconducting alloys of V Si and V Ga, and superconductors fabricated which exhibit substantially the same properties as indicated above for the Nb-Sn superconductors.
  • the method of fabricating a superconductor comprising the steps of mixing niobium and tin powders in the proportion by weight, of about 70-80% niobium and about 30-20% tin, pelletizing such mixture, sintering said pellets at about 950-ll00 C.
  • the method of fabricating a superconductor comprising the steps of mixing niobium and tin powders in the proportion by weight of about 70-80% niobium and about 30-20% tin, pelletizing such mixture, sintering said pellets at about 950-1100 C.
  • the method of fabricating a superconductor comprising the steps of mixing niobium and tin powders in the proportion by weight of about 70'80% niobium and about 30-20% tin, pelletizing such mixture, sintering said pellets at about 9501l0-0 C.
  • the method of fabricating a superconductor comprising the steps of mixing niobium and tin powders in the proportion by weight of about 7080% niobium and about 30-20% tin, pelletizing such mixture, sintering said pellets at about 950-1100 C. for about 4-48 hours, reducing said pellets to a powder and mixing the latter said powder with up to about 30% by Weight of a mixture of powdered niobium and tin being in substantially the same relative proportions as in said pellets, pelletizing such admixture, inserting the latter pellets into a niobium tube, reducing the cross-section of said tube to a predetermined size to form a conductor, subjecting said conductor to a temperature of about 950 C. for about 16 hours.
  • the method of fabricating a superconductor comprising the steps of mixing niobium and tin powders of about 325 mesh in the proportion by weight of about -80% niobium and about 30-20% tin, pelletizing such mixture at a compaction pressure of about 120,000 p.s.i. to provide a pellet density of about 7 grams/em sintering said pellets at about 9501100 C.
  • pellets for about 448 hours, reducing said pellets to a powder of about 325 mesh, and mixing the latter said powder with up to about 30% by weight of a mixture of powdered niobium and tin being in substantially the same relative proportions as in said pellets, pelletizing such admixture at a compaction pressure of about 120,000 psi. to provide a pellet density of about 7 grams/cm. inserting the latter pellets into a niobium tube, reducing the cross-section of said tube to a predetermined size to form a conductor, subjecting said conductor to a temperature of about 950 C. for about 16 hours.

Description

United States Patent 3,325,888 METHQD 0F MAKENG A SUPERCONDUCTOR lBY SHNTERHNG PUWBJERED METALS heldon Weinig, Hastings on Hudson, N.Y., George T. Murray, Woodclitt Latte, and Steven D. Hurwitt, Park Ridge, N11,, and Drory H. Ben-Israel, Spring Valley, N.Y., assignors to Materials Research Corporation, filrangcburg, N.Y., a corporation of New York No Drawing. Filed Feb. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 257,108 Ciairns. (Cl. 29-420) This invention relates to electrical conductors having superconducting properties at extremely low temperatures and more particularly to such conductors which can be bent without afiecting their superconducting properties.
Recently considerable interest has been shown in the use of superconducting wire and the like for transmission of electrical power on an industrial or commercial scale. It has been determined that the cost of maintaining the conductor in a cryogenic environment is justified by the substantial elimination of power losses in the system. The use of superconductors is contemplated for various propulsion systems, cryogenic airborne computers, controlled fusion systems, magnetic-hydrodynamics, in the magnetic systems of nuclear accelerators, as well as in other varied applications.
Superconductivity is defined as the state in which materials exhibit almost zero resistance to flow of electric current. This phenomenon occurs at extremely low temperatures. Niobium-tin has the highest transition temperature, i.e. the point at Which the material starts super conducting, of any material so far investigated. Nb Sn becomes superconducting at 18 Kelvin (-255 C.), however, after bending the superconductivity is usually lost. Since the most immediate application of this material is as a winding for magnets, this has been a problem which has plagued the art.
The method of the present invention has provided a Nb sn superconductor which can be bent without loss of the superconducting properties and consequently constitutes a breakthrough which provides the art with a long sought product.
Briefly the method of the present invention involves pelletizing a mixture of elemental niobium and tin powders containing about 70-80% by weight niobium and about 30-20% by Weight tin, sintering the pellets at about 950- ll00 C. for about 4-48 hours to form a Nb-Sn alloy; inserting said pellets in a ductile metal sheath such as copper; drawing, rolling or swaging said sheath to produce a wire or ribbon or the like having a Nb-Sn core and an outer layer of the ductile metal, and then subjecting the resultant material to an elevated temperature of about 950-1100 C. for about 6-48 hours. Other objects and features of the present invention will appear in the following specification and claims.
Describing the present invention more specifically, elemental niobium and tin powders of about 325 mesh are thoroughly mixed in roughly a 3/1 ratio of niobium to tin, eg from about 70% to about 80% niobium and from about 30% to about 20% tin. This powder mixture is then pressed to form pellets or slugs. The compaction pressure is of the order of about 120,000 psi. which provides pellets or slugs having a density of about 7 grams/ cm The pellets are then sintered at a temperature of 950-1100 C. for 4-48 hours, preferably at about 1000 C. for about 16 hours, to form a Nb-Sn alloy, e.g. Nb Sn. Next a sheath or tube or the like of a ductile metal such as copper, nickel, Monel, inconel, niobium or stainless steel is packed tightly with the Nb-Sn alloy pellets. It also may be desirable to reduce the pellets to powder form and then fiil the ductile metal tube with powder.
The filled tube or sheath is then reduced to the desired size of wire or ribbon by rolling, drawing, swaging, or any combination thereof and then the wire or ribbon is annealed or subjected to an elevated temperature, in the range of 950-1100 C. for about 6-48 hours, preferably at about 950 C. for 16 hours.
For example, starting with an initial mixture of 325 mesh powder containing by weight niobium and 25% by weight tin pellets were formed and sintered at 1000 C. for 16 hours. Then the pellets were placed in a 0.5 inch ID. copper tube and were drawn down to a wire having an OD. of 0.03 inch. The wire carried 60 amperes at a temperature of 4.2 K. in 100,000 gauss field after bending around a inch diameter mandrel.
In another case, a similarly formed 0.020 diameter Wire carried amperes current in a zero field at 42 K.
The initial diameter of the tube may be any convenient size and the final diameter of the drawn conductor may vary from about 0.005 inch to about 0.050 inch, depending on the intended end use thereof.
A modified method according to the present invention involves the similar mixin and preparation of the initial pellets and sintering to provide the niobium-tin alloy. Then the pellets are again reduced to about 325 mesh powder and such powder is mixed with up to about 30% by Weight of a mixture of powdered elemental niobium and tin being in substantially the same relative proportions as in the powdered alloy. Then the resulting mixture is pelletized, the pellets inserted into a niobium tube or sheath and the latter is reduced to a wire or ribbon and then subjected to a temperature of about 950-1l00 C. for about 6-8 hours.
The superconducting wire or ribbon produced by the above methods provide reliability of long lengths due to ease of fabrication, can be bent without afiecting the superconductivity, and are in fact less expensive to produce than prior art materials having the same properties. Such superconductors have high current carrying capacities in high strength magnetic fields and are suitable for use in solenoids, magnets, gyroscopes, switches, etc.
In addition to the use of niobium and tin alloys, the present methods can also be used with superconducting alloys of V Si and V Ga, and superconductors fabricated which exhibit substantially the same properties as indicated above for the Nb-Sn superconductors.
While certain embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that changes and additions may be made by those skil'ed in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
What is claimed is:
1. The method of fabricating a superconductor comprising the steps of mixing niobium and tin powders in the proportion by weight, of about 70-80% niobium and about 30-20% tin, pelletizing such mixture, sintering said pellets at about 950-ll00 C. for about 4-48 hours, reducing said pellets to a powder and mixing the latter said powder with up to about 30% by weight of a mixture of powdered niobium and tin being in substantially the same relative proportions as in said pellets, pelletizing such admixture, inserting the latter pellets into a ductile metal sheath, reducing the cross-section of said sheath to a predetermined size to form a conductor, subjecting said conductor to a temperature of about 950-1100 C. for about 6-48 hours.
2. The method of fabricating a superconductor comprising the steps of mixing niobium and tin powders in the proportion by weight of about 70-80% niobium and about 30-20% tin, pelletizing such mixture, sintering said pellets at about 950-1100 C. for about 4-48 hours, reducing said pellets to a powder and mixing the latter said powder with up to about 30% by weight of a mixture of powdered niobium and tin being in substantially the same relative proportions as in said pellets, pelletizing such admixture, inserting the latter pellets into a sheath of a metal selected from the class consisting of copper, nickel, Monel, Inconel, niobium and stainless steel, reducing the cross-section of said sheath to a predetermined size to form a conductor, subjecting said conductor to a temperature of about 9501100 C. for about 6-48 hours.
3. The method of fabricating a superconductor comprising the steps of mixing niobium and tin powders in the proportion by weight of about 70'80% niobium and about 30-20% tin, pelletizing such mixture, sintering said pellets at about 9501l0-0 C. for about 4-48 hours, reducing said pellets to a powder and mixing the latter said powder with up to about 30% by weight of a mixture of powdered niobium and tin being in substantially the same relative proportions as in said pellets, pelletizing such admixture, inserting the latter pellets into a ductile metal tube, reducing the cross-section of said tube to a predetermined size to form a conductor, subjecting said conductor to a temperature of about 950-1100 C. for about 6-48 hours.
4. The method of fabricating a superconductor comprising the steps of mixing niobium and tin powders in the proportion by weight of about 7080% niobium and about 30-20% tin, pelletizing such mixture, sintering said pellets at about 950-1100 C. for about 4-48 hours, reducing said pellets to a powder and mixing the latter said powder with up to about 30% by Weight of a mixture of powdered niobium and tin being in substantially the same relative proportions as in said pellets, pelletizing such admixture, inserting the latter pellets into a niobium tube, reducing the cross-section of said tube to a predetermined size to form a conductor, subjecting said conductor to a temperature of about 950 C. for about 16 hours.
5. The method of fabricating a superconductor comprising the steps of mixing niobium and tin powders of about 325 mesh in the proportion by weight of about -80% niobium and about 30-20% tin, pelletizing such mixture at a compaction pressure of about 120,000 p.s.i. to provide a pellet density of about 7 grams/em sintering said pellets at about 9501100 C. for about 448 hours, reducing said pellets to a powder of about 325 mesh, and mixing the latter said powder with up to about 30% by weight of a mixture of powdered niobium and tin being in substantially the same relative proportions as in said pellets, pelletizing such admixture at a compaction pressure of about 120,000 psi. to provide a pellet density of about 7 grams/cm. inserting the latter pellets into a niobium tube, reducing the cross-section of said tube to a predetermined size to form a conductor, subjecting said conductor to a temperature of about 950 C. for about 16 hours.
References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,084,041 4/1963 Zegler. 3,162,943 12/1964 Wong 148-115 3,218,693 11/1965 Allen.
HYLAND BIZOT, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. THE METHOD OF FABRICATING A SUPERCONDUCTOR COMPRISING THE STEPS OF MIXING NIOBIUM AND TIN POWDERS IN THE PROPORTION BY WEIGHT OF ABOUT 70-80% NIOBIUM AND ABOUT 30-20% TIN, PELLETIZING SUCH MIXTURE, SINTERING SAID PELLETS AT ABOUT 950-1100*C. FOR ABOUT 4-48 HOURS, REDUCING SAID PELLETS TO A POWDER AND MIXING THE LATTER SAID POWDER WITH UP TO ABOUT 30% BY WEIGHT OF A MIXTURE OF POWDERED NIOBIUM AND TIN BEING IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME RELATIVE PROPORTIONS AS IN SAID PELLETS, PELLETIZING SUCH ADMIXTURE, INSERTING THE LATTER PELLETS, PELLETIZING METAL SHEATH, REDUCING THE CROSS-SECTION OF SAID SHEATH TO A PREDETERMINED SIZE TO FORM A CONDUCTOR, SUBJECTING SAID CONDUCTOR TO A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 950-1100*C. FOR ABOUT 6-48 HOURS.
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Cited By (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3427710A (en) * 1965-12-10 1969-02-18 Gen Electric Co Ltd Method of making superconducting magnets
US3471925A (en) * 1965-11-17 1969-10-14 Avco Corp Composite superconductive conductor and method of manufacture
US3541680A (en) * 1966-12-30 1970-11-24 Philips Corp Method of manufacturing superconducting material
US3824457A (en) * 1973-04-04 1974-07-16 Atomic Energy Commission Method of making a solid-state superconducting electromagnetic radiation detector
US4291105A (en) * 1979-08-07 1981-09-22 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Bimetallic strip for low temperature use
EP0281474A2 (en) 1987-02-28 1988-09-07 Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited Process for manufacturing a compound oxide-type superconducting wire
EP0282286A2 (en) 1987-03-13 1988-09-14 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Superconducting wire and method of manufacturing the same
US4952554A (en) * 1987-04-01 1990-08-28 At&T Bell Laboratories Apparatus and systems comprising a clad superconductive oxide body, and method for producing such body
US5030614A (en) * 1987-05-15 1991-07-09 Omega Engineering, Inc. Superconductor sensors
US5106825A (en) * 1987-07-31 1992-04-21 Olin Corporation Fabrication of superconducting wire and product
US5226947A (en) * 1992-02-17 1993-07-13 Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Niobium-titanium superconductors produced by powder metallurgy having artificial flux pinning centers
US5981444A (en) * 1987-02-05 1999-11-09 Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Process for manufacturing a superconducting wire of compound oxide-type ceramics
US5987731A (en) * 1987-04-01 1999-11-23 Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. Elongated superconductive member
US6571453B1 (en) * 1997-12-09 2003-06-03 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Method for producing a superconductor, in strip form, having a high-Tc superconductor material
EP3489373A1 (en) * 2017-11-28 2019-05-29 Heraeus Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG Method for the melt-metallurgical representation of intermetallic compound nb3sn
DE102019000906A1 (en) * 2019-02-08 2020-08-13 Taniobis Gmbh Powder based on niobium tin compounds for the production of superconducting components

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Cited By (20)

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US3471925A (en) * 1965-11-17 1969-10-14 Avco Corp Composite superconductive conductor and method of manufacture
US3427710A (en) * 1965-12-10 1969-02-18 Gen Electric Co Ltd Method of making superconducting magnets
US3541680A (en) * 1966-12-30 1970-11-24 Philips Corp Method of manufacturing superconducting material
US3824457A (en) * 1973-04-04 1974-07-16 Atomic Energy Commission Method of making a solid-state superconducting electromagnetic radiation detector
US4291105A (en) * 1979-08-07 1981-09-22 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Bimetallic strip for low temperature use
US5981444A (en) * 1987-02-05 1999-11-09 Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Process for manufacturing a superconducting wire of compound oxide-type ceramics
EP0281474B2 (en) 1987-02-28 2006-05-24 Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited Process for manufacturing a compound oxide-type superconducting wire
EP0281474A2 (en) 1987-02-28 1988-09-07 Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited Process for manufacturing a compound oxide-type superconducting wire
EP0282286B2 (en) 1987-03-13 2013-06-05 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Superconducting wire and method of manufacturing the same
EP0282286A2 (en) 1987-03-13 1988-09-14 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Superconducting wire and method of manufacturing the same
US6170147B1 (en) * 1987-03-13 2001-01-09 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Superconducting wire and method of manufacturing the same
US5987731A (en) * 1987-04-01 1999-11-23 Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. Elongated superconductive member
US4952554A (en) * 1987-04-01 1990-08-28 At&T Bell Laboratories Apparatus and systems comprising a clad superconductive oxide body, and method for producing such body
US5030614A (en) * 1987-05-15 1991-07-09 Omega Engineering, Inc. Superconductor sensors
US5106825A (en) * 1987-07-31 1992-04-21 Olin Corporation Fabrication of superconducting wire and product
US5226947A (en) * 1992-02-17 1993-07-13 Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Niobium-titanium superconductors produced by powder metallurgy having artificial flux pinning centers
US6571453B1 (en) * 1997-12-09 2003-06-03 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Method for producing a superconductor, in strip form, having a high-Tc superconductor material
EP3489373A1 (en) * 2017-11-28 2019-05-29 Heraeus Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG Method for the melt-metallurgical representation of intermetallic compound nb3sn
CN109837402A (en) * 2017-11-28 2019-06-04 贺利氏德国有限两合公司 Intermetallic compound Nb is prepared by fusion metallurgy program3The method of Sn
DE102019000906A1 (en) * 2019-02-08 2020-08-13 Taniobis Gmbh Powder based on niobium tin compounds for the production of superconducting components

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