Development of Biaxially Textured YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} Coated Conductors in the U.S.
- ORNL
Two new processes have been under development since 1991 that promise a new, cost-effective way to manufacture flexible, high current density wires made from YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} (YBCO). The key is to prepare a textured substrate, or ''template,'' on which the YBCO may be deposited as a biaxially aligned thick film. Ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) of yttria stabilized zirconia or magnesium oxide on alloy tapes enables a final superconducting layer with grain-to-grain, in-plane alignment to within 3-5 degrees. Similar results are achieved on rolling-assisted, biaxially textured substrates (RABiTS) using a variety of oxide layers on textured nickel tapes. The performance of research lengths of prototype wires in strong magnetic fields at 65 K already exceeds that of NbTi and Nb{sub 3}Sn in liquid helium. A scalable, ex-situ process for the YBCO coating has been demonstrated on both types of substrates. Consistent values of critical current density (J{sub c }) greater than 1 x 10{sup 6} A/cm{sup 2} are now obtained on RABiTS, and J{sub c}'s in excess of 2 x 10{sup 6} A/cm{sup 2} have been obtained on both substrates. A nonmagnetic variation of RABiTS (Ni-13% Cr) has also been shown to yield Jc greater than 1.5 x 10{sup 6} A/cm{sup 2} . Six private companies in the U.S. are scaling up YBCO coated conductors for power and physics applications.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-96OR22464
- OSTI ID:
- 14616
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/CP-105061
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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