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Title: Influence of Ti and Ta doping on the irreversible strain limit of ternary Nb3Sn superconducting wires made by the restacked-rod process

Journal Article · · Superconductor Science and Technology

Nb{sub 3}Sn superconducting wires made by the restacked-rod process (RRP{reg_sign}) were found to have a dramatically improved resilience to axial tensile strain when alloyed with Ti as compared to Ta. Whereas Ta-alloyed Nb{sub 3}Sn in RRP wires showed permanent damage to its current-carrying capacity (I{sub c}) when tensioned beyond an intrinsic strain as small as 0.04%, Ti-doped Nb{sub 3}Sn in RRP strands exhibits a remarkable reversibility up to a tensile strain of about 0.25%, conceivably making Ti-doped RRP wires more suitable for the high field magnets used in particle accelerators and nuclear magnetic resonance applications where mechanical forces are intense. A strain cycling experiment at room temperature caused a significant drop of I{sub c} in Ta-alloyed wires, but induced an increase of I{sub c} in the case of Ti-doped strands. Whereas either Ti or Ta doping yield a similar enhancement of the upper critical field of Nb{sub 3}Sn, the much improved mechanical behavior of Ti-alloyed wires possibly makes Ti a better choice over Ta, at least for the RRP wire processing technique.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Doe - Office Of Science
DOE Contract Number:
DE-AC02-98CH10886
OSTI ID:
985809
Report Number(s):
BNL-93734-2010-JA; SUSTEF; KB0202011; TRN: US1006223
Journal Information:
Superconductor Science and Technology, Vol. 23, Issue 5; ISSN 0953-2048
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English