Irreversibility Field and Flux Pinning in MgB2 with and Without SiC Additions

TL;DR

This study investigates how SiC additions affect the irreversibility field and flux pinning in MgB2 superconducting strands, demonstrating improved magnetic properties at various processing temperatures.

Contribution

It provides new insights into how SiC additions and processing temperatures enhance the magnetic performance of MgB2 strands.

Findings

SiC additions increase the irreversibility field (Hr) by up to 1.5 T.

Higher processing temperatures (900°C) further improve Hr to 18 T.

Flux pinning force (Fp) reaches up to 20 GN/m3 with SiC additions.

Abstract

Critical current density was measured at 4.2 K for MgB2 strands with and without SiC additions. In some cases measurements were performed on longer (1 m) samples wound on barrels, and these were compared to magnetic measurements. Most measurements were performed on short samples at higher fields (up to 18 T). It was found that in-situ processed strands with 10% SiC additions HT at 700-800C show improved Hr and Fp values as compared to control samples, with Hr increasing by 1.5 T. At 900C even larger improvements are seen, with Hr reaching 18 T and Fp values maximizing at 20 GN/m3.