The fabrication of a ceramic superconducting wire

Abstract

Using appropriate additions of polymeric binders, it has been possible to extrude wires from YBa2Cu3Ox powders between 70 and 100 degrees C and at pressures of <1.0 MPa. It has also been possible to produce coils by winding the wire, as it left the extrusion die, onto a suitable mould. After burning off the binder components at temperatures up to 500 degrees C, the wire was sintered in air or oxygen at 960 degrees C to develop strength and conductivity. Both straight wires and coils produced so far exhibit superconducting behaviour. The mechanical fragility of these materials could be overcome by application of a suitable encapsulation, for example an acrylic resin.