Flexible superconducting composite compound wires

A superconducting compound wire which comprises a plurality of strands having a superconducting compound therein, at least some of the strands having an inclination to the lengthwise direction of the superconducting wire and the strands being movable with respect to one another, wherein the strands have a layer of material selected from the group consisting of niobium and vanadium closely adhering to the outside of an inner stabilizing material which is selected from the group consisting of copper, silver, aluminum and gold, a layer of superconducting compound selected from the group consisting of Nb.sub.3 Sn, Nb.sub.3 Al, Nb.sub.3 (AlGe), Nb.sub.3 Ga, V.sub.3 Ga, V.sub.3 Si, V.sub.3 Al, V.sub.2 Hf and V.sub.2 Zr, closely adhering to the outside of the niobium or vanadium layer, and a layer of elements other than niobium or vanadium which compose the compound or of an alloy containing such elements, the third layer closely adhering to the outside of the compound layer.

A superconducting magnet comprising a coil of superconducting compound wire which comprises a plurality of strands having a continuous phase of superconducting compound therein, at least some of the strands having an inclination to the lengthwise direction of the superconducting wire and the strands being movable with respect to one another, said wire having a reinforcing material in the form of a wire at least in the center portion thereof, said reinforcing material being selected from the group consisting of tungsten, molybdenum, stainless steel, glass, carbon, and alumina, and wherein the outer diameter of the strand is smaller than the product of the allowable bending diameter of the superconducting wire to be obtained and the strain limit for not degrading the superconducting characteristics of the strands and wherein the stranding pitch length of the strands is in the range of 20 to 1000 times of the strand outer diameter.