Fabrication of laminated Bi-2212/Ag multifilamentary tape

The powder-in-tube (PIT) process has been successfully used to make long lengths of Ag-sheathed oxide superconductors. A modified PIT approach is proposed to fabricate conductors with laminated Bi-2212 configurations. Ag/Bi-2212 tapes consisting of seven laminae were produced with various thicknesses ranging from 0.38 to 0.25 mm. The use of a turkshead was found to be beneficial, yielding tapes with good dimensional integrity and consistency. Critical current density (Jc) values greater than 105 A cm-2 (0.01 T and Bperpendicular tape surface) have been attained for tapes of different thicknesses. Nonetheless, Jc was found to be related to the average thickness of individual Bi-2212 lamina. It is believed that excessive cold working accounts for the decrease in Jc with decreasing size below a threshold value. The enhancement of Jc is attributed to the high Bi-2212 grain alignment along the Ag-oxide interfaces and uniform dimensions within the laminate conductors. (author)