INFLUENCE OF THE CONSTANT LOAD SINTERING ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE TRANSPORT CRITICAL CURRENT IN AG-(BI,PB)2SR2CA2CU3OX TAPE FORM CONDUCTOR

The effects of the short time, low value constant load pressing process of cold rolled silver clad wires conducted at temperatures close to the partial melting point of the ceramic core, from 800-degrees-C to 866-degrees-C on the microstructure and critical current anisotropy have been studied in detail. The strong influence of the constant load sintering at up to 2 MPa for 1 hour on the improvement of the alignment of the ceramic core in the tape form conductors was confirmred by microstructure investigations and also by the I(c) versus mu(o)H measurements. The magnetic field dependence of the transport critical current, for mu(o)H parallel to the surface of the tape and also for mu(o)H perpendicular to the surface of the tape, is very significantly reduced in the tapes sintered under constant load. The analysis of the mechanical creep of silver and ceramic core versus temperature allowed us to optimise the densification conditions of the investigated single core A-''2223'' tape form conductor for the load used.