Abstract: A method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy conductor for use at ultra low temperature which involves the steps of adding at least one of the metallic and semimetallic effective elements selected from the group consisting of B, Ca, Ce, Ga, Y, Yb and Th, in a total amount of 6 to 200 weight ppm, into a previously prepared molten high purity aluminum having a purity of not less than 99.98 wt % to thereby obtain a molten metal mixture; casting the molten metal mixture to thereby obtain a casting; subjecting the casting to extrusion working at 150.degree. C. to 350.degree. C. in an area reduction ratio of 1:10 to 1:150 whereby an extrusion worked product is formed; and annealing the extrusion worked product at a temperature of 250.degree. C. to 530.degree. C. for 3 to 120 minutes, whereby an aluminum alloy conductor for use at ultra low temperature is obtained.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an Nb.sub.3 Al superconducting wire includes a step of forming a wire by a jelly-roll process, a first thermal step of heating the obtained wire at a temperature of 500.degree. to 700.degree. C. for at least 10 hours for diffusing Al in Nb while suppressing formation of Nb.sub.3 Al, and a second thermal step of heating the wire, after the first thermal step, at a temperature of 800.degree. to 1050.degree. C. for about 0.01 to 10 hours, thereby forming Nb.sub.3 Al. In the jelly-roll process, a sheet of Nb and a sheet of Al are lap-wound on a copper core. The material obtained by such lap winding is inserted in a copper pipe, and then subjected to drawing. The drawn wire is cut to obtain a plurality of segments. The plurality of segments are bundled and charged in a copper pipe, and then subjected to drawing. The resulting drawn wire is subjected to the first and second thermal steps.

Abstract: An aluminum-stabilized superconducting wire includes a superconducting wire member obtained by burying a superconducting filament in a copper matrix and an aluminum stabilizing member covered in an outer surface of the superconducting wire member, and the aluminum stabilizing member is constituted by an aluminum alloy having a 0.2 % proof resistivity of 4 kg/mm.sup.2 or more at a very low temperature and a residual resistance ratio of 250 or more. It is preferable that the aluminum alloy contains at least one element selected from 50 to 1,000 ppm of Zn, 50 to 150 ppm of Si, 50 to 400 ppm of Ag, 50 to 300 ppm of Cu, and 30 to 2,000 ppm of Ce, and that a balance is constituted by Al and an inevitable impurity.

Abstract: A Type II superconducting alloy which is superconducting at a predetermined high magnetic field is prepared by creating a composite having a periodic arrangement of at least two transition metals so as to provide numerous interfaces between the different transition metals including niobium, titanium, zirconium, vanadium, hafnium, and tantalum, and alloys thereof. The combination of transition metals is such that one of the metals will serve as a second phase when the layers are subjected to temperatures which would produce a two-phase equilibrium state from a solid solution alloy of the transition metals. The composite is mechanically reduced and heated to cause interdiffusion of the transition metals to form ductile superconducting alloy zones at the interfaces of the transition metals.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an Nb.sub.3 Sn superconducting wire includes the steps of composing a desired number of rods, constituted by a material selected from the group consisting of Nb and an Nb alloy, in a Cu-Sn-based alloy matrix containing 15.1 to 24.6 wt % of Sn, thus forming a composite billet, subjecting the composite billet to hot working, subjecting the composite billet to cold or warm working to reduce a diameter and annealing repeatedly to divide an intermetallic compound phase in the Cu-Sn-based alloy into small pieces, thus obtaining a composite wire, and subjecting the composite wire to predetermined heating to diffuse Sn in Nb. A method of manufacturing an Nb.sub.

Abstract: Artifical pinning centers are provided in normal metal layers adjacent to a type II superconductor layer produced by reacting two normal metal layers. The transverse thicknesses of the final superconductor and normal metal layers are less than about 1000 A.degree.. Planar layers of metal which are to provide a multilayer wire whose layers are parallel. A plurality of the multilayer wires are combined to produce a multifilament superconductor, the layers in all the individual wires being parallel to each other.

Abstract: A superconductor which is superconducting of a predetermined high field and low temperature is formed by combining a plurality of metal bodies to form a composite structure. The metal bodies are selected from transition metals such as niobium, tantalum, zirconium, hafnium and vanadium, and alloys of such metals, alternate bodies being formed of ductile alloys of the metals which are not superconducting at the predetermined high field. The alternate bodies of transition metals are reacted to form a ductile superconducting ternary alloy zone at the interfaces of these bodies. The extent of the reaction is limited so as to maintain areas of transition metal and transition metal alloys which are not superconducting at the high field. The composite structure is reduced sufficiently that each non superconducting zone is less than 1000A.degree. thick and serves as an artificial pinning site for each adjacent superconducting zone.

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: 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 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.