The significant influence of packing density of unreacted Mg+2B mixture and heat treatment conditions on some of critical parameters for MgB2/Fe wires

Abstract

Our research show that the higher packing density of the unreacted material (Mg +2B) by 8%, especially for Mg in the solid state, allows to eliminate the large number of large voids (20 µm), improves the homogeneity and density of the MgB2 superconducting material, allows to obtain a greater number and longer lengths of connections between MgB2 grains, eliminates the formation of the intermetallic phase (iron borides), allows to obtain MgB2 grains of a uniform size and shape, increase irreversible magnetic field (Birr), critical temperature (Tc) and upper magnetic field (Bc2). Research show that spherical grains significantly reduce the number of inter-grain connections in the material with low and high density of unreacted material and allows to obtain the more superconducting phase. Research shows that MgB2 grains with a plate-like and rectangular shape allow to obtain more connections between the grains. Studies show that thermal treatment under high isostatic pressure does not allow to obtain the large amount of superconducting phase for the unreacted material of low density. Moreover, studies show that the high packing density of unreacted material and thermal treatment under high isostatic pressures (0.8 GPa and 1.1 GPa) allow to obtain a large amount of superconducting phase even for Mg in the solid state. Additionally, studies points that heat treatment under medium isostatic pressure (0.3 GPa) significantly reduce Birr and Bc2. Our results are important for long superconducting wires made by using the powder-in-tube (PIT) technique. Because they indicate that the higher packing density of the unreacted material (Mg +2B) will allow to obtain a the superconducting material with greater homogeneity and density, and improve the critical parameters e.g. coils.