Abstract: A high field superconductor is formed of an A-15 superconductor in the form of a layer thinner than 1000.ANG.. This layer is carried by a support layer formed of a normal metal, the support layer having a thickness less than 1000.ANG..

Abstract: A process for producing a niobium-tin superconductor wire made from a multifilament composite via the internal tin approach is provided for. In particular, a process of preparing such a wire via an internal tin tube surrounded by a diffusion barrier and a stabilizer, this results in a drawn wire product have improved properties and lower cost.

Abstract: A method for making superconducting ceramic filaments by joining the ceramic to a normal conducting metal in such a way that minimal mechanical working, drawing, or extrusion is needed to arrive at a fine filamentary shape.

Abstract: A method for producing a superconductor includes the steps of combining a plurality of metal bodies to form a composite structure, metal bodies being selected from transition metals such as niobium, tantalum, titanium, zirconium, hafnium and vanadium, alternate bodies being formed of different transition metals to form triplets. The transition metals are reacted to form a ductile superconducting ternary alloy at the interfaces of these triplets of metals. The extent of the reaction is limited so as to maintain areas of pure or nearly pure transition metal along with the superconducting ternary alloy in at least one of each triplet of transition metals.

Abstract: In a preferred form of the invention, a superconductor is produced by the steps of combining a plurality of layers of metal sheets to form a composite structure. The sheets are pure transition metals--niobium, titanium, zirconium, or vanadium, alternate sheets being formed of different transition metals. The resulting composite structure is mechanically reduced sufficiently so that each transition metal sheet is less than 1000 .ANG. thick. In the course of reduction, the composite is subjected to sufficient temperatures for sufficient times such that the transition metal layers are partially reacted to form a ductile superconducting material between the transition metal layers. Approximately one half by volume of the transition metal layers remain unreacted. These unreacted layers afford efficient flux pinning within the composite when the layers are reduced to the <1000.ANG. final size. In other embodiments, powders and filaments can be used instead of initial layers.

Abstract: In the present invention, a superconductor is produced by the steps of wrapping a plurality of layers of metal sheets around a support to form a composite structure. The sheets are pure transition metals-13 niobium, titanium, zirconium, or vanadium, for example--alternate sheets being formed of different transition metals. The support may be composed of any ductile metal. The resulting composite structure is mechanically reduced sufficiently so that each transition metal sheet is less than 1000 .ANG. thick. In the course of reduction, the composite is subjected to sufficient temperatures for sufficient times such that the transition metal layers are partially reacted to form a ductile superconducting material between the transition metal layers. Approximately one half by volume of the transition metal layers remain unreacted. These unreacted layers afford efficient flux pinning within the composite when the layers are reduced to the <1000 .ANG. final size.

Abstract: A process for fabricating worked superconducting ceramic material of a mean grain size not more than 10 um is disclosed, which comprises the steps of: (a) preparing a metal casing containing a starting powder material having a composition for forming an oxide superconductor; (b) calcining the starting powder material contained in the casing at a temperature range of 850.degree. to 950.degree. C.; (c) subjecting said casing to a HIP treatment; (d) subjecting said casing containing hot deformed material to cold deformation processing; and (e) subjecting said casing to stress relief treatment by annealing in the presence of oxygen.

Abstract: Method of manufacturing a flexible, high temperature superconductive cable by longitudinally imbedding a ceramic oxide material in a band source material, and then compressing same to form an elongated flat band, which in turn is deformed into a hollow tubular member whose longitudinal edges are welded before such member is corrugated. Further, there is disclosed a flexible, high temperature superconductive cable including a corrugated metallic wall having imbedded therein at least one superconductor of ceramic oxide material extending continuously therethrough.

Abstract: A Type II superconducting filament is formed by surrounding a Type II superconducting alloy ingot with layers of a fine grain Type II superconducting alloy sheet, a barrier layer and a copper extrusion can. The composite is then reduced to a filament by hot and cold working.

Abstract: A process for producing a niobium-tin superconductor wire made from a multifilament composite via the internal tin approach is provided for. In particular, a process of preparing such a wire via an internal tin tube surrounded by a diffusion barrier and a stabilizer, this results in a drawn wire product have improved properties and lower cost.

Abstract: A Type II superconducting alloy is formed into a wire by extruding a billet of the alloy encased in a copper extrusion can. The extrusion can may include a nose and a tail section having a k factor equal to or greater than that of the body of the core. The nose section may also have a convex inner transverse surface, while the tail section has a concave inner transverse surface. The nose and tail section may be formed of a copper alloy which is of equal or greater stiffness than the alloy of the body of the core. Alternatively, a multifilament wire may be formed by extruding a billet composed of a plurality of separate superconducting wires encased in a copper extrusion can. The nose and tail section of the can may be modified as for the aforementioned monofilament billet.

Abstract: A method for joining two or more superconducting wires each comprising a bundle of filaments of tin (Sn) and niobium (Nb) contained within a binder metal with a superconducting joint. The filaments on the ends of the wires to be joined are first exposed by etching the binder metal away with acid and then the exposed filaments are intertwined. The exposed filaments are then sealed in a copper-enriched chamber and heated to a temperature and for a time sufficient for the Sn and Nb to diffuse together and form Nb.sub.3 Sn at their interface. Preferably, the filaments are sealed by forming a tubular jacket, placing the tubular jacket over the exposed filaments and the wire ends adjacent thereto, and swaging the ends of the tubular jacket to the wire ends adjacent the exposed filaments.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a superconductive ceramic wire and a method for making same.According to the first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for making a superconductive ceramic wire, the method comprising the steps of: (a) preparing a superconductive porous ceramics; (b) depositing lead in the pores of the ceramics; (c) covering the lead-deposited ceramics with a metal; and (d) extending the metal-clad and lead-deposited ceramics.According to the second aspect of the invention, there is provided a superconductive ceramic wire which is obtained by: (a) preparing a superconductive porous ceramics; (b) depositing lead in the pores of the ceramics; (c) covering the lead-deposited ceramics with a metal; and (d) extending the metal-clad lead-deposited ceramics.

Abstract: Superconducting tapes having an inner laminate comprised of a parent-metal layer, a superconductive alloy layer on the parent-metal, a reactive-metal layer, and an outer laminate soldered thereon are joined in a superconducting joint by the method of this invention. The outer laminate is removed to form exposed sections, and the tapes are positioned so that the exposed sections are in contact. A melt zone within the exposed sections where the exposed sections are in contact is melted. The melt zone is at least large enough to provide sufficient parent-metal, superconductive alloy, and reactive-metal to form a melt that resolidifies as a continuous precipitate of the superconductive alloy. The melt resolidifies as a continuous precipitate of the superconductive alloy that is continuous with the superconductive alloy on the superconducting tape.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a rugged, flexible, superconducting wire comprising: mixing a superconducting material, such as YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.x, with a metallic powder to form a metal/superconductor mixture; and loading a metal shell or tube with the metal/superconductor mixture to form a superconducting wire. The superconducting wire may also be cold drawn and annealed to form a very dense wire. The metallic powder is either copper, copper alloy, aluminum or other face centered cubic element. Additionally, a superconducting wire may be formed by encapsulating a superconducting filament within a metal shell.

Abstract: An inline splicing system for brittle conductors which is comprised of a superconductor core, a superconductor coil having a length of conductor wound upon it with a terminal end, a supply spool of compatible conductor having a terminal end, both conductors being in an abutting relationship for a prescribed length, a spacer located between a portion of the abutting length and the core, and a soldering means which creates a solder along the abutting length that conforms to the circular surface of the core.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sintered ceramic wire.Ceramic materials, such as A1N, Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 and Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, have various superior characteristics including heat-resistance, and sintered ceramic materials have been of interest as superconducting materials of high critical temperatures.However, various disadvantages are involved in the formation of the sintered ceramic materials as thin wires, and in the practical use thereof.The present invention elminates such disadvantages to provide a thin and long sintered ceramic wire having sufficient strength and toughness to avoid breakage.A sintered wire is made by placing powders of metal oxides, precursors of the desired sintered material, having oxidation potentials less than that of copper, in a tube of a high temperature oxidation-resistant metal. This product is worked to its final size and a sintering step is performed. The method is satisfactory for manufacture of ceramic superconductors.

Abstract: In a known process, oxide powders derived from the four-component systems yttrium-barium-copper-oxygen or lanthanum-strontium-copper-oxygen are mixed, pressed, sintered, ground and then heat-treated to produce a superconducting material which can be shaped to the desired cross-section. According to the invention, the powder is compacted by isostatic pressing and the blank so obtained is extruded at a temperature.gtoreq.500.degree. C. to form a metallic sheath with a deformation ratio of at least 50%. The extruded blank is then converted to wire or strip. The current-carrying capacity of the high-temperature superconductor is improved by the extrusion and the resulting alignment of the crystallites. The process can be implemented using known high-temperatures superconducting material.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for fabricating a wire from niobium tin produced in situ in a filamentous structure capable of achieving the superconducting state which comprises overlapping a tin alloy core comprised of tin-magnesium eutectic alloy with alternating layers of copper and foraminous layers followed by drawing the thus-formed niobium filaments into wire, then heating the wire at sufficiently high temperature to cause the eutectic alloy to homogeneously diffuse through the length of the copper wire and rods to react with the Nb, forming the A-15 crystal structure of Nb.sub.3 Sn, characterized by refined grain structure therein and improved current carrying capability.

Abstract: An automated facility for the large-scale production of superconducting magnets for use in a particle accelerator. Components of the automated facility include: a superconducting coil winding machine; a coil form and cure press apparatus; a coil collaring press; collar pack assembly apparatus; yoke half stacking apparatus; a cold mass assembly station; and a final assembly station. The facility can produce, on an economical manufacturing basis, magnets made of superconducting material for use in the ring of the particle accelerator. Each of the components is under the control of a programmable controller for operation having repeatable accuracy. All of the elements which are combined to form the superconducting magnet are thus manufactured with the dimensional precision required to produce a known, uniform magnetic field within the accelerator.

Abstract: An automated facility for the large-scale production of superconducting magnets for use in a particle accelerator. Components of the automated facility include: a superconducting coil winding machine; a coil form and cure press apparatus; a coil collaring press; collar pack assembly apparatus; yoke half stacking apparatus; a cold mass assembly station; and a final assembly station. The facility can produce, on an economical manufacturing basis, magnets made of superconducting material for use in the ring of the particle accelerator. Each of the components is under the control of a programmable controller for operation having repeatable accuracy. All of the elements which are combined to form the superconducting magnet are thus manufactured with the dimensional precision required to produce a known, uniform magnetic field within the accelerator.

Abstract: A process for producing a superconductor wire made up of a large number of round monofilament rods is provided for, comprising assembling a multiplicity of round monofilaments inside each of a multiplicity of thin wall hexagonal tubes and then assembling a number of said thin wall hexagonal tubes within an extrusion can and subsequently consolidating, extruding and drawing the entire assembly down to the desired wire size.

Abstract: An automated facility for the large-scale production of superconducting magnets for use in a particle accelerator. Components of the automated facility include: a superconducting coil winding machine; a coil form and cure press apparatus; a coil collaring press; collar pack assembly apparatus; yoke half stacking apparatus; a cold mass assembly station; and a final assembly station. The facility can produce, on an economical manufacturing basis, magnets made of superconducting material for use in the ring of the particle accelerator. Each of the components is under the control of a programmable controller for operation having repeatable accuracy. All of the elements which are combined to form the superconducting magnet are thus manufactured with the dimensional precision required to produce a known, uniform magnetic field within the accelerator.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a superconductor includes the steps of filling a ceramic superconductor or a material mixture thereof in a metal container, elongating the metal container, slitting the metal container by a predetermined width to partially expose a material inside the metal container, and sintering the material inside the metal container.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a superconducting magnet comprising the steps of applying a bonding agent on a length of a superconductor by passing the superconductor through a bath of the bonding agent to thereby coat the superconductor with the bonding agent. The superconductor coated with the bonding agent is simultaneously wound to form a winding which is then hardened by heating for example to form a rigid winding without voids.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a superconducting material having the steps of: milling and mixing a powderly primary material in a casing of a dry type milling mixer; heat-processing the primary material obtained from the milling/mixing step; and again milling and mixing the primary material obtained from the heat-processing step in the casing of the milling mixer so as to obtain a secondary material. The milling mixer includes a casing for holding the primary material therein and friction-pulverizing mixing elements for frictionally pulverizing, stirring and mixing the primary material inside the casing. The two milling/mixing steps are effected under a high-speed rotation of the casing where a centrifugal force resulting from the casing rotation presses the primary material against an inner surface of the casing and a layer of the material formed on the surface is frictionally pulverized, stirred and mixed by the friction-pulverizing mixture elements.

Abstract: Disclosed are normal metal-clad superconductive bodies (e.g., wires, ribbons) having a normal metal cladding that is porous during at least a part of the manufacture of the body. The porous cladding permits access of an ambient atmosphere to the superconductive material. Exemplarily, the superconductive material is an oxide such as a (Ba, Y) cuprate, the normal metal cladding comprises Ag particles (or Ag-coated particles), and the body is treated in an oxygen-containing atmosphere. Techniques for producing such a body are also disclosed.

Abstract: The superconductive thin film is made in the procedures that; in a vacuum vessel having an internal pressure maintained at least lower than 10.sup.-2 torr, each metal of the component elements of the superconductive thin film to be made is charged into a crucible so as to be heated as a simple substance respectively so that the evaporated metallic element is spouted from the crucible as a cluster beam, the spouted evaporation metallic element is ionized and accelerated through an electric field, impinging to a substrate while spouting oxygen gas toward the substrate, controlling the heating of the crucible so that the amount of the respective metallic evaporation beams is made to be a predetermined mole ratio, whereby the superconductive thin film is formed on the substrate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sheathing material for superconducting wires which are deformed during manufacture by drawing or a similar procedure. The superconducting material of the wires is composed of an oxide whose superconducting properties worsen during the deformation so that, in order to recover its original superconducting properties or to further improve them, the material must be subjected to a recovery heat treatment at temperatures above 940.degree. C.Customarily, silver is employed as the sheathing material for such wires. The recovery heat treatment is generally performed at temperatures around 900.degree. C. Experiments have shown that the optimum temperature range for a recovery heat treatment lies between about 940.degree. C. and 1030.degree. C. However, these temperatures were above the melting temperature of silver in an oxygen atmosphere.

Abstract: A method of making a composite having superconducting capability is characterized by the steps: (1) forming a mixture of particulate yttrium or rare earth, that is alloyable with Ba and Cu, with particulate Ba, Cu, and Ag, where Ag additive is present in an amount of from 2 weight % to 30 weight % of the mixture, where the Ag additive has a particle size from 0.01 micrometer to 5 micrometers, (2) melting the mixture, (3) forming on a support surface a 10% to 30% porous ribbon of alloy having an interior Ag network, (4) removing the ribbon, (5) placing the ribbon alloy on top of a metal sheet, (6) placing a metal sheet on top of the ribbon alloy, (7) sealing the ribbon alloy within the metal sheets to form a composite, (8) uni-directional rolling the composite to reduce its cross-section, and (9) annealing the composite at from 100.degree. C. to 900.degree. C.

Abstract: An automated facility for the large-scale production of superconducting magnets for use in a particle accelerator. Components of the automated facility include: a superconducting coil winding machine; a coil form and cure press apparatus; a coil collaring press; collar pack assembly apparatus; yoke half stacking apparatus; a cold mass assembly station; and a final assembly station. The facility can produce, on an economical manufacturing basis, magnets made of superconducting material for use in the ring of the particle accelerator. Each of the components is under the control of a programmable controller for operation having repeatable accuracy. All of the elements which are combined to form the superconducting magnet are thus manufactured with the dimensional precision required to produce a known, uniform magnetic field within the accelerator.

Abstract: A superconducting conductor comprises a first fraction of prior-tinned strands (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, etc. . . . ) and an additional fraction of non-prior-tinned strands (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, etc., . . . ). The strands of the first fraction and of the additional fraction alternate regularly and are maintained in a coherent assembly after being assembled with transposition by heating to melt the layer of tin on the prior-tinned strands, with the tin from said layer then solidifying, thus providing substantially point adherence between the previously tinned strands while leaving channels (11, 12, etc. . . . ) inside the superconducitng conductor for cooling liquid circulation. The invention is also to a method of manufacturing such a superconducting conductor.

Abstract: A superconducting structural body comprising an oxide based superconducting ceramics powder having a perovskite structure and a metal sheath surrounding the oxide based superconducting ceramics powder, the metal sheath including an Ag portion and a non-Ag metal portion, the Ag portion existing from the inner to outer surfaces of the metal sheath, a superconducting ceramics powder portion existing in the structural body, the non-Ag metal protion used as a structural material of the metal sheath of an outermost layer of the structural body, the superconducting ceramics powder portion and the non-Ag metal portion being disposed so as to be indirectly contact each other through the Ag material, and the superconducting structural body having a compressed oriented layer in which the C-axis of the crystal in the superconducting ceramics powder is oriented in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the superconducting structural body, and in which a thickness thereof is not smaller than 5 .mu.

Abstract: An automated facility for the large-scale production of superconducting magnets for use in a particle accelerator. Components of the automated facility include: a superconducting coil winding machine; a coil form and cure press apparatus; a coil collaring press; collar pack assembly apparatus; yoke half stacking apparatus; a cold mass assembly station; and a final assembly station. The facility can produce, on an economical manufacturing basis magnets made of superconducting material for use in the ring of the particle accelerator. Each of the components is under the control of a programmable controller for operation having repeatable accuracy. All of the elements which are combined to form the superconducting magnet are thus manufactured with the dimensional precision required to produce a known, uniform magnetic field within the accelerator.

Abstract: An automated facility for the large-scale production of superconducting magnets for use in a particle accelerator. Components of the automated facility include: a superconducting coil winding machine; a coil form and cure press apparatus; a coil collaring press; collar pack assembly apparatus; yoke half stacking apparatus; a cold mass assembly station; and a final assembly station. The facility can produce, on an economical manufacturing basis, magnets made of superconducting material for use in the ring of the particle accelerator. Each of the components is under the control of a programmable controller for operation having repeatable accuracy. All of the elements which are combined to form the superconducting magnet are thus manufactured with the dimensional precision required to produce a known, uniform magnetic field within the accelerator.

Abstract: A multifilamentary superconducting cable has two parallel spaced-apart guide wires. A first layer of mutually parallel superconducting filaments is woven partially around and between the guide wires in a transposed braid. Likewise, a second layer of mutually parallel superconducting filaments is woven partially around and between the guide wires in a transposed braid. Thus, the two layers overlap each other as the respective layers pass between the guide wires. The two superconducting layers and two guide wires are enclosed in a helical copper duct, with the guide wires being oriented within the duct.

Abstract: Fibers of Bi(2212) have been produce by pendant drop melt extraction. This technique involves the end of a rod of Bi(2212) melted with a hydrogen-oxygen torch, followed by lowering onto the edge of a spinning wheel. The fibers are up to 15 cm in length with the usual lateral dimensions, ranging from 20 um to 30 um. The fibers require a heat treatment to make them superconducting.

Abstract: A powder-in-tube method is disclosed for making a composite superconducting oxide wire which comprises loading a copper tube with a mixture composed of rare earth metal oxide, BaO.sub.2 and copper oxide or the finished superconductor powder and subjecting the loaded tube to drawing and a heat treatment at a temperature of up to 950.degree. C., wherein prior to loading the copper tube, the tube is oxidized at least on its inside to form a copper oxide layer having a thickness of 1 to 100 .mu.m and then a silver intermediate layer is inserted to the oxidized copper tube.

Abstract: An improved high energy product radially oriented toroidal magnet is made om an iron cylinder toroid by a method including the steps of:(A) sandwiching the iron cylinder toroid between two disc toroids of a superconductive material at a temperature above the transition temperature of the superconductive material at which temperature the superconductive material does not have superconducting properties and therefor cannot affect the magnetic state of the iron toroid,(B) aligning the iron radially with a small applied field so that flux lines go through the toroidal magnet in a radial direction and in response to which the magnetic dipoles of the iron align themselves with those flux lines,(C) cooling the superconductive material to below the transition temperature of the superconductive material thereby trapping magnetic flux in the iron cylinder toroid, and(D) removing the small applied field from the iron cylinder toroid that does not affect the radial magnetization of the iron as the radial magnetization of

Abstract: Porous electrodes are formed of multiple, spaced filaments of tantalum derived from reduction of a softer metal billet containing elongated spaced, substantially parallel wires of the valve metal, removing the softer metal, and affixing a contact thereto.

Abstract: Improvement in a method for producing a sintered elongated article by the steps comprising filling a metal pipe with a material powder, carrying out plastic deformation of the metal pipe and then subjecting the material powder in deformed metal pipe to sintering. In the invention, a netting of metallic wire (1) whose melting point is higher than a melting point of the material powder (3) is arranged around the metal pipe (2) before the sintering.

Abstract: A superconducting wire and a process for fabricating such a wire. The present invention relates specifically to the fabrication of a wire using a ceramic superconducting material. Initially, a quantity of highly pure high temperature superconducting material is obtained. The superconducting material may be fabricated by any one of a number of known fabrication methods such as by aqueous coprecipitation, conventional sol gel techniques or solid state reaction processes.Once a ceramic superconducting material in particulate form is obtained, surface impurities on the particles are removed. One such surface cleaning procedure is known as "sputtering." Sputtering strips the surface atoms from the surface of the superconducting material, leaving only pure superconducting ceramic.The superconductive ceramic produced according to the procedure outlined above is then used in the formation of a superconducting wire.

Abstract: The structure of a wiring according to the present invention has a buffer layer interposed between an insulating layer and a wiring of a superconductive ceramic material, and the buffer layer hardly reacts on the superconductive ceramic material in a high temperature ambient, so that the superconductive ceramic material does not lose the superconductivity due to an influence of the buffer layer on the superconductive ceramic material during the formation stage of the wiring.

Abstract: A superconductive wire having an elongated flexible sheath bent into a nonlinear shape and formed with an inwardly extending longitudinal formations which can be grooves. A sintered body of a ceramic superconductive materials fills the sheath and conforms to the shape, the body having formations complementarily interfitting with the formations of the sheath. At least one of the grooves can be formed with a channel through which a cooling medium can be circulated or the grooves can receive a conductive strand or a support rod.

Abstract: Apparatus for multi-channel measurement of weak magnetic fields having assigned to each channel an assembly, which is arranged on a base carrier (30) and includes a DC-SQUID (6, 27), a gradiometer coil (8, 12, 15, 16, 37), a coupling-in coil (9, 19, 38), superconductive connecting leads (10, 17, 18, 41), and a modulation coil (7, 26). The gradiometer coil, the coupling-in coil and the SQUID are made from thin-film structures. An evaluation element (11) serves to evaluate the signals generated in each channel by the SQUIDS. A separate plate (29) is provided for each channel, on which the SQUID and the modulation coil are deposited. The assembly of gradiometer coil, connecting leads and coupling-in coil provided for each channel is deposited on a separate gradiometer carrier (12, 32). A plate is arranged on a gradiometer carrier, and the individual gradiometer carriers are attached to the base carrier.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a hard-to-work alloy article comprises the steps of: preparing a laminate member comprising a plurality of layers of different metals in a stoichiometric ratio for the intended alloy composition; dividing the laminate member into pieces; combining the pieces to a body for plastic deformation; subjecting the body to plastic deformation under pressure to form an article having a given shape and dimensions; and applying a thermal diffusion treatment to the article.

Abstract: Superconductive oxide bodies such as wires, ribbons, rods, and other bulk bodies can be fabricated by a process that comprises melting precursor material, cooling at least of the melt such that a solid body of a desired shape results, and heat treating the solid body in an oxygen-containing atmosphere. The precursor material exemplarily is in the form of pressed superconductive oxide powder. The re-solidified superconductive material is relatively dense, typically textured, with relatively large grain size, and has improved properties, e.g., higher critical current density. An exemplary technique for melting of the precursor material is zone melting.

Abstract: A glass-clad wire of ceramic superconductive material is produced by filling a glass-lined metal cylinder with a powder of superconductive material, sealing the cylinder ends and drawing the filled, sealed cylinder through dies of progressively smaller size until a predetermined wire size is achieved. The formed wire is then heat treated to assure necessary crystallinity in the superconductor material. Removal of the outer metal coating leaves a glass-clad superconductor wire.

Abstract: Powder or lengths of ceramic or metallic superconductor ceramic compositions are loaded into lengths of metal tubing. Mechanical reduction of filled tubing is facilitated by use of elevated temperatures and intermittent heat treatments as required. Rolling to a flattened cross section aids bending to the final device configurations and subsequent hot-isostatic-pressing. Hot-isostatic-pressing steps (1) close defects, including voids, cracks and joints and improve microstructure, and (2) join tested wire lengths to produce a superconductor length in the final configuration. Encapsulation of the superconductor is completed and assured with metal sleeves and solder or glass.

Abstract: A holder for protection and handling of a brittle electrical conductor element, such as a ceramic superconductor, limited in its ability to withstand tensile and compression forces exerted thereon and bending along its axial length beyond a predetermined arcuate path. The holder has a flexible housing which encompasses and protects the superconductor element. A helically disposed strengthening element is integral with the housing. The strengthening element resists tensile forces exerted on the housing in an axial direction and resists radially imposed forces on the housing isolating the superconductor element from these forces. The strengthening element also provides for limited arcuate bending of the housing for limiting the bending beyond a predetermined arcuate path.