Abstract: An electrical interconnect is disclosed that includes an inner conductive material having a top surface and a bottom surface; and an outer conductive material different from the inner conductive material, wherein the outer conductive material is clad on the top and bottom surfaces of the inner conductive material, wherein the electrical interconnect is configured to be secured to a first terminal of a first electrochemical cell and a second terminal of a second electrochemical cell. A method of manufacturing an electrical interconnect is also disclosed.

Abstract: An electrical interconnect is disclosed that includes a first portion configured to be secured to a first terminal of a first electrochemical cell, wherein the first portion comprises a first conductive material, and a second portion configured to be secured to a second terminal of a second electrochemical cell, wherein the second portion comprises a second conductive material; wherein the first conductive material is different than the second conductive material. A method of manufacturing an electrical interconnect is also disclosed.

Abstract: A system for sealing a large diameter tube under vacuum including: a tube having a diameter greater than about 20 mm, a disk operatively positioned inside the tube and having a smaller diameter than the tube, a vacuum operatively connected to the tube, heating means, operatively positioned on the outside of the tube, for heating the tube to a temperature sufficient to collapse the tube onto the disk, means for positioning the disk inside the tube proximate the position of the heating means on the outside of the tube and means for cooling the tube proximate the disk sufficiently to formulate a seal between the tube and the disk where the disk collapsed onto the disk is disclosed.

Abstract: Foil used in the manufacture of superconductor material is cleaned using a mechanical abrasive pad that produces longitudinal hills and valleys or elliptical swirls on the surface of both sides of the foil to yield high quality and uniform superconductors.

Abstract: Methods of making an improved high performance x-ray system having a rotating anode therein are available. The anode includes an improved target/stem connection which reduces tube failure due to anode assembly imbalance. Methods of bonding a metallic target and a metal stem to form a composite rotating x-ray tube target are also available. In these procedures an insert of an alloy, for example, tantalum or its alloys , is placed between the target and the niobium-alloy stem and then bonded thereto to produce a composite x-ray tube target/stem having a high remelt temperature and bond strength which retains its balance throughout the manufacturing process and during x-ray tube operations.

Abstract: Foils used to manufacture superconductor materials can effectively be cleaned by heat treatment prior to anodization and further processing steps. The heat treatment can be in conjunction with other cleaning processes or separate.

Abstract: The solid-liquid diffusion process used to form triniobium tin superconductor is improved by oxidizing the tin coated niobium substrate with an oxide layer on the surface of the tin coat after tin dipping. The oxide layer can be added to the tin coat by passing the tin coated niobium substrate through an oxidizing chamber before the reaction anneal step, by adding oxygen to the reaction anneal furnace with argon or helium, by adding oxygen to the cooling tower immediately after the tin dipping process, or by controlling the exit temperature of the tin coated substrate from the tin dip in room atmosphere conditions.

Abstract: A method is described which increases the critical current of triniobium tin by bonding thermal contraction control layers to the triniobium tin superconducting articles at a process temperature to form a composite, and subsequently cooling the composite to a test temperature.