Improvements in the weldability of a superconductor sheath material

This paper investigates the effects of chemistry and heat treatment variation on the 4-K tensile properties of A-286, a candidate sheath material for force-cooled superconductors. Currently, full use of A-286 and similar superalloys is limited by the observed low yield and ultimate tensile strengths in the welded and aged condition. The low strength is shown to be associated with the formation of precipitate-free-zones as a result of alloying-element segregation during weld pool solidification. It has been determined that minor modifications of the weld-metal chemistry by the addition of Ti reduce precipitate-free-zone formation, resulting in matching weld-metal and base-plate strengths at 4 K. Furthermore, nucleation of the γ' hardening phase has been found to be a strong function of temperature and composition. Modified heat-treatment schedules have been determined that are amenable to superconductor fabrication and that resulted in increased weld hardening and improved 4-K tensile properties