Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Enhanced high-field performance in Fe-sheathed MgB2 tapes using inexpensive stearic acid additives

  • Published:
Journal of Materials Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

High performance Fe-cladded MgB2 taps were prepared by the in situ powder-in-tube method utilizing very cheap stearic acid (C18H36O2) as dopants. The amount of stearic acid was varied from 0 to 30 wt%. We found that a significant enhancement of Jc, Hirr, and Hc2 in comparison with undoped samples was easily achieved. At 4.2 K, the transport Jc for the best doped tapes (10 wt%) reached 2 × 104 A/cm2 at 10 T and 3.7 × 103 A/cm2 at 14 T, respectively, an order of magnitude higher than for the pure tapes. In particular, at 20 K, the irreversibility field of the 10 wt% doped tape was around 10 T, which is comparable to the upper critical field of the commercial NbTi at 4.2 K. The results demonstrate great potential of MgB2 tapes for superconducting magnets.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

FIG. 1
FIG. 2
FIG. 3
FIG. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Y. Iwasa, D.C. Larbalestier, M. Okada, R. Penco, M.D. Sumption, X. Xi: A round table discussion on MgB2 toward a wide market or a niche production? A summary. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. 16, 1457 2006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. V. Braccini, A. Gurevich, J.E. Giencke, M.C. Jewell, C.B. Eom, D.C. Larbalestier, A. Pogrebnyakov, Y. Cui, T. Liu, Y.F. Hu, J.M. Redwing, Q. Li, X.X. Xi, R.K. Singh, R. Gandikota, J. Kim, B. Wilkens, N. Newman, J. Rowell, B. Moeckly, V. Ferrando, C. Tarantini, D. Marré, M. Putti, C. Ferdeghini, R. Vaglio, E. Haanappel: High-field superconductivity in alloyed MgB2 thin films. Phys. Rev. B 71, 012504 2005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. D.C. Larbalestier, A. Gurevich, D. Matthew Feldmann, A. Polyanskii: High-Tc superconducting materials for electric power applications. Nature 414, 368 2001

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Y. Ma, X. Zhang, G. Nishijima, K. Watanabe, S. Awaji, X. Bai: Significantly enhanced critical current densities in MgB2 tapes made by a scaleable nanocarbon addition route. Appl. Phys. Lett. 88, 072502 2006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. S.X. Dou, S. Soltanian, J. Horvat, X.L. Wang, S.H. Zhou, M. Ionescu, H.K. Liu, P. Munroe, M. Tomsic: Enhancement of the critical current density and flux pinning of MgB2 superconductor by nanoparticle SiC doping. Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 3419 2002

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. R. Flukiger, H.L. Suo, N. Musolino, C. Beneduce, P. Toulemonde, P. Lezza: Superconducting properties of MgB2 tapes and wires. Physica C 385, 286 2003

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. H. Kumakura, H. Kitauchi, A. Matsumoto, H. Hatakeyama: Upper critical fields of powder-in-tube-processed MgB2/Fe tape conductors. Appl. Phys. Lett. 84, 3669 2004

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. J. Wang, Y. Bugoslavsky, A. Berenov, L. Cowey, A.D. Caplin, L.F. Cohen, J.L. MacManus-Driscoll, L.D. Cooley, X. Song, D.C. Larbalestier: High critical current density and improved irreversibility field in bulk MgB2 made by a scaleable, nanoparticle addition route. Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 2026 2002

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. M.D. Sumption, M. Bhatia, M. Rindfleisch, M. Tomsic, S. Soltannian, S.X. Dou, E.W. Collings: Large upper critical field and irreversibility field in MgB2 wires with SiC additions. Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 092507 2005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. C.H. Cheng, Y. Zhao: Enhancement of critical current density of MgB2 by doping Ho2O3. Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 252501 2006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. B.J. Senkowicz, J.E. Giencke, S. Patnaik, C.B. Eom, E.E. Hellstrom, D.C. Larbalestier: Improved upper critical field in bulk-form magnesium diboride by mechanical alloying with carbon. Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 202502 2005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Y. Ma, X. Zhang, S. Awaji, Z. Gao, D. Wang, G. Nishijima, K. Watanab: Large irreversibility field in nanoscale C-doped MgB2/Fe tape conductors. Supercond. Sci. Technol. 20, L5 2007

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. R.H.T. Wilke, S.L. Bud’ko, P.C. Canfield, D.K. Finnemore, R.J. Suplinskas, S.T. Hannahs: Systematic effects of carbon doping on the superconducting properties of Mg(B1–xCx)2. Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 217003 2004

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Y. Yamada, M. Hirakawa, H. Kumakura, H. Kitaguchi: Effect of aromatic hydrocarbon addition on in situ powder-in-tube processed MgB2 tapes. Supercond. Sci. Technol. 19, 175 2006

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. J.H. Kim, S. Zhou, M.S.A. Hossain, A.V. Pan, S.X. Dou: Carbohydrate doping to enhance electromagnetic properties of MgB2 superconductors. Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 142505 2006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. X. Wang, Z. Cheng, S.X. Dou: Silicon oil: A cheap liquid additive for enhancing in-field critical current density in MgB2. Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 042501 2007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. A. Gurevich: Enhancement of the upper critical field by nonmagnetic impurities in dirty two-gap superconductors. Phys. Rev. B 67, 184515 2003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. A. Godeke, M.C. Jewell, C.M. Fischer, A.A. Squitieri, P.J. Lee, D.C. Larbalestier: The upper critical field of filamentary Nb3Sn conductors. J. Appl. Phys. 97, 093909 2005

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors thank Liye Xiao and Liangzhen Lin for their help and useful discussion. This work is partially supported by the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission under Grant No. Z07000300700703, National 973 Program (Grant No. 2006CB601004), and National 863 Project (Grant No. 2006AA03Z203). Also, the work at the Grenoble High Magnetic Field Laboratory (GHMFL) has been supported by the Transnational Access to InfrastructuresSpecific Support Action Program (Contract No. RITA-CT-2003-505474 of the European Commission).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Applied Superconductivity, Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100080, China

    Yanwei Ma, Zhaoshun Gao, Xianping Zhang, Dongliang Wang & Zhengguang Yu

  2. Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan

    K. Watanabe

  3. Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100080, China

    Haihu Wen

  4. Grenoble High Magnetic Field Laboratory, C.N.R.S., 25, 38 042, Grenoble Cedex 9, France

    E. Mossang

Authors
  1. Yanwei Ma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zhaoshun Gao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xianping Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Dongliang Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Zhengguang Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. K. Watanabe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Haihu Wen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. E. Mossang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yanwei Ma.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ma, Y., Gao, Z., Zhang, X. et al. Enhanced high-field performance in Fe-sheathed MgB2 tapes using inexpensive stearic acid additives. Journal of Materials Research 22, 2987–2991 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.2007.0384

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.2007.0384

Search

Navigation