RIS ID
100023
Abstract
High performance MgB2 bulks using carbon-coated amorphous boron as a boron precursor were fabricated by Cu-activated sintering at low temperature (600 °C, below the Mg melting point). Dense nano-MgB2 grains with a high level of homogeneous carbon doping were formed in these MgB2 samples. This type of microstructure can provide a stronger flux pinning force, together with depressed volatility and oxidation of Mg owing to the low-temperature Cu-activated sintering, leading to a significant improvement of critical current density (Jc) in the as-prepared samples. In particular, the value of Jc for the carbon-coated (Mg1.1B2)Cu0.05 sample prepared here is even above 1 x 105 A cm−2 at 20 K, 2 T. The results herein suggest that the combination of low-temperature Cu-activated sintering and employment of carbon-coated amorphous boron as a precursor could be a promising technique for the industrial production of practical MgB2 bulks or wires with excellent Jc, as the carbon-coated amorphous boron powder can be produced commercially at low cost, while the addition of Cu is very convenient and inexpensive.
Grant Number
ARC/DE140101333
Publication Details
Liu, Y., Lan, F., Ma, Z., Chen, N., Li, H., Barua, S., Patel, D., Shahriar, M., Hossain, A., Acar, S., Kim, J. & Dou, S. Xue. (2015). Significantly enhanced critical current density in nano-MgB2 grains rapidly formed at low temperature with homogeneous carbon doping. Superconductor Science and Technology, 28 (5), 055005-1-055005-7.