Effect of rapid heating, quenching and transformation conditions on the superconducting properties and microstructure of Jelly-Roll processed Nb3Al superconductors

Abstract

A Jelly-Roll processed Nb3Al superconductor with excellent superconducting properties has been fabricated by the process of rapid heating, quenching and transformation (RHQT). In order to fabricate a long length of wire with homogeneous superconducting properties, the optimization of the RHQT conditions is particularly important because RHQT conditions determine the final microstructure and superconducting properties. In this paper, we have studied the variation of microstructure and superconducting properties with RHQ and transformation annealing conditions, to determine the optimum processing condition. In the study of the RHQ treatment, we found that the RHQ conditions are divided into four regions according to the joule heating current (IRHQ). In the optimum region, the wire is quenched from the temperature in which a bcc solid solution extends to more than 25 at%Al, and the scatter of critical current density (Jc) after transformation annealing is almost negligible. In the study of the deformation and transformation heat treatment, we have found that the deformation of the supersaturated solid solution improves the resultant superconducting properties, and prevents degradation of superconducting properties that occurs when the temperature ramp-up rate is slow.