Magnetic levitation force performance of benzil added bulk MgTi0,06B2 superconductors

Abstract

MgB2 superconductors can be proposed as a good candidate for Maglev systems due to their superior structural and superconducting properties. Besides, magnetic levitation and guidance force properties of these superconductors should be increased for commercial applications of Maglev systems. Therefore, the critical current density and magnetic levitation and guidance force properties of MgTi0.06B2 superconducting samples were investigated in this study, at measurement temperatures of 20 K and 25 K, depending on benzil (C14H10O2) addition in different adding amounts of 0, 1.5, 3, 4.5, 6 and 9 wt%. In addition to benzil, nanometer-sized silver particles were added to the samples in a constant ratio of 2 wt% to enhance the structural properties. The maximum critical current density values increased from 67 kA/cm2 for pure sample to 92 kA/cm2 with benzil adding amount of 3 wt% at T = 20 K, indicating an increment of 37%. In addition, the levitation force in ZFC (zero field cooling) regime and the guidance force in FC (field cooling) regime at 20 K increased at an amount of 46% and 57%, respectively, with 3% benzil addition. It can be said that the suitable amount of benzil addition as a carbon source produces additional pinning centres inside the MgTi0.06B2 and thus structural properties, critical current density and therefore, magnetic levitation properties of the samples are increased.