Loading patent…
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Department of Energy
InventorsJohn D. Verhoeven, Douglas K. Finnemore, Edwin D. Gibson, Jerome E. Ostenson
Estimating the term…
An alloy for the commercial production of ductile superconducting wire is prepared by melting together copper and at least 15 weight percent niobium under non-oxygen-contaminating conditions, and rapidly cooling the melt to form a ductile composite consisting of discrete, randomly distributed and orientated dendritic-shaped particles of niobium in a copper matrix. As the wire is worked, the dendritric particles are realigned parallel to the longitudinal axis and when drawn form a plurality of very fine ductile superconductors in a ductile copper matrix. The drawn wire may be tin coated and wound into magnets or the like before diffusing the tin into the wire to react with the niobium. Impurities such as aluminum or gallium may be added to improve upper critical field characteristics.
A ductile alloy for preparing composite superconducting wire comprising copper and from 20 to 60 weight percent niobium, the niobium being present in the copper as discrete, randomly distributed and oriented, elongated dendritic-shaped particles having a diameter from about 1 .mu.m to about 25 .mu.m and an aspect ratio of between 50 to 100.
A method of forming a ductile alloy of copper and niobium where the niobium is present in the copper as discrete, randomly distributed and oriented, elongated dendritic-shaped particles comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.