Structural materials for large superconducting magnets

Insuring structural integrity of large superconducting magnet systems requires knowledge of the low temperature behavior of many materials. This review describes recent research on alloys, nonmetallics and conductor composites related to their structural roles in these magnets. Special attention is paid to joining methods and their effect on the structure. It is encouraging to note that a reasonable amount of data are now available on a number of commercial alloys. It is somewhat disconcerting to see a rapid increase in design stress levels over the past several years, during which time few large magnets have been put into operation. 30 refs