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Mechanism of Enhanced Carbon Substitution in CNT-MgB2 Superconductor Composite Using Ball Milling in a Methanol Medium: Positive Role of Boron Oxide

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Abstract

In the present work, we report on the role of the methanol medium and ball-milling time in the substitution of carbon in carbon nanotube CNT-MgB2 superconductors. In our samples, we find that the CNTs are intact and well dispersed. However, the liquid medium (methanol) used for dispersion of the constituent materials is also acting as a source of C for substitution. However, the substitution of C from methanol is not direct; rather, B2O3, which had been considered as just an impurity, plays a positive role in binding the methanol molecules to the surface of B. The detailed mechanism of methanol absorption and the role of B2O3 and ball-milling time are presented here. In addition, we present the J C(H, T) data, which show that approximately 3% of C substitution provides the best critical current density at 20 K.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University for its funding of this research through the Research Group Project No. RGP-290.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Center for Nanotechnology, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh, 11442, Saudi Arabia

    Fahad Saad Alghamdi

  2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Science, King Saud University (KSU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    M. Shahabuddin, Nasser S. Alzayed & Niyaz Ahamad Madhar

  3. Department of Physics, College of Science and Humanity Studies, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj, Saudi Arabia

    Jafar M. Parakkandy

  4. King Abdullah Institute for Nanotechnology (KAIN), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    M. A. Majeed Khan & Aslam Khan

  5. Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, Australian Institute for Innovative Materials, University of Wollongong, North Wollongong, NSW, Australia

    Md. Shahriar Al Hossain

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  1. Fahad Saad Alghamdi
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  2. M. Shahabuddin
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  3. Nasser S. Alzayed
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  4. Niyaz Ahamad Madhar
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  5. Jafar M. Parakkandy
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  6. M. A. Majeed Khan
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Correspondence to M. Shahabuddin.

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Alghamdi, F.S., Shahabuddin, M., Alzayed, N.S. et al. Mechanism of Enhanced Carbon Substitution in CNT-MgB2 Superconductor Composite Using Ball Milling in a Methanol Medium: Positive Role of Boron Oxide. J Supercond Nov Magn 31, 1119–1126 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10948-017-4279-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10948-017-4279-y

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