Coupling loss, interstrand contact resistance, and magnetization of Nb3Sn rutherford cables with cores of MgO tape and s-glass ribbon

Multistrand cables may exhibit two classes of parasitic magnetization both of which can distort the bore-field of an accelerator magnet: (1) a static magnetization (“hysteretic”) resulting from intrastrand persistent currents, and (2) a dynamic magnetization produced by interstrand coupling currents generated during field ramping. The latter, which are moderated by the interstrand contact resistances (ICR), can be controlled by the presence of an insulating core inserted between the layers of the cable. Stainless steel ribbon (with its associated native oxide coating) is a frequently used core. Recently, however, MgO-paper tapes and woven s-glass ribbons have been suggested by LBNL (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) as alternative core materials in the interests of improved flexibility and compatibility with the cabling process. This paper reports on the results of calorimetric AC loss (hence ICR) measurements on a set of four such cables and presents the results within the context of previously measured cored and uncored Nb3Sn cables. Also considered is a typical ramp-rate-induced coupling magnetization and its relationship to persistent-current magnetizations over the operating range of an accelerator magnet

Carbon Doping of MgB2 by Toluene and Malic-Acid-in-Toluene

The decomposition of malic acid in the presence of Mg and B was studied using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) which revealed that malic acid reacted with Mg but not B. Also, the addition of toluene to dissolve malic acid followed by subsequent drying resulted in no reaction with Mg, indicating that the malic acid had decomposed during the dissolution/drying stage. The total carbon contributed by toluene versus a toluene/5 wt% malic acid mixture was measured using a LECO CS600 carbon analyzer. The toluene sample contained ~0.4 wt% C while the toluene/malic acid mixture had ~1.5 wt% C, demonstrating that the toluene contributed a significant amount of carbon to the final product. Resistivity measurements on powder-in-tube MgB2 monofilamentary wires established that the toluene/malic acid doped sample had the highest Bc2. However, the toluene-only sample had the highest transport Jc over most of the magnetic field range (0-9 T), equaled only by that of toluene/malic acid sample in fields above 9 T.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures, 1 tabl

The Effect of Ta and Ti Additions on the Strain Sensitivity of Bulk Niobium-Tin

The effect of tantalum and titanium additions on the composition, the superconducting properties, and their sensitivity to strain of bulk Nb3Sn is investigated. Using heat capacity analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), it is found that the binary Nb3Sn bulk and Nb3Sn bulk with added titanium and tantalum consist of stoichiometric Nb3Sn and niobium(-oxide). Furthermore, it is found that the niobium-to-tin ratio decreases in the presence of tantalum and increases in the presence of titanium, which suggests that tantalum is replacing niobium and titanium is replacing tin in the A15 crystal structure. Using a 10% resistivity criterion, it is observed that the critical magnetic field of unstrained binary bulk is 26.7 T, while the presence of tantalum and titanium raises the critical magnetic field to 29.3 and 30.1 T, respectively. The curves of normalized critical magnetic field as function of strain of all three samples nearly overlap, a strong indication that the variation in strain sensitivity observed in wires is not caused by the titanium and tantalum additions. Understanding the effect of additions on the composition, superconducting properties, and strain sensitivity of Nb3Sn is important for optimizing Nb3Sn conductor technolog

Analysis of bulk and thin film model samples intended for investigating the strain sensitivity of niobium-tin.

Bulk samples and thin films were fabricated and characterized to determine their suitability for studying the effect of composition and morphology on strain sensitivity. Heat capacity and resistivity data are used to determine the critical temperature distribution. It is found that all bulk samples contain stoichiometric Nb{sub 3}Sn regardless of their nominal Nb to Sn ratio. Furthermore, in bulk samples with Cu additions, a bi-modal distribution of stoichiometric and off-stoichiometric Nb-Sn is found. Thus the nominally off-stoichiometric bulk samples require additional homogenization steps to yield homogeneous off-stoichiometric samples. A binary magnetron-sputtered thin film has the intended off-stoichiometric Nb-Sn phase with a mid-point critical temperature of 16.3 K. This type of sample is a suitable candidate for investigating the strain sensitivity of A15 Nb{sub 1-{beta}}Sn{sub {beta}}, with 0.18 < {beta} < 0.25. The strain sensitivity of Nb-Sn as a function of composition and morphology is important for an in-depth understanding of the strain sensitivity of composite Nb{sub 3}Sn wires

Preparation and Characterization of Mg1-xB2 Bulk Samples and Cu/Nb Sheathed Wires with Low Grade Amorphous Boron Powder

MgB2 bulk and wire samples were prepared using cheap, low grade amorphous boron powders. Based on chemical analysis performed on the starting reagents, three nominal stoichiometries were studied. It was found that the structural and superconducting properties of the bulk samples were not affected by the composition, but that residual Mg was left in the wires for the nominal MgB2 composition. In contrast, slightly Mg-deficient compositions were free from residual Mg and exhibited higher critical current densities. The MgB2 phase formation kinetics was not influenced by the variations in the nominal powder compositio