Near net-shape manufacturing of metal sheathed superconductors by high energy rate forming techniques

High energy rate forming 'powder-in-tube' techniques were employed for near net-shape manufacturing of axisymmetric metal/superconducting YBCO ceramic compound billets for applications in the electrical industry. The dynamic techniques employed were explosive and electromagnetic compaction. The macro- and microscopic integrity of the components and the effect of the compaction process on the superconducting properties were examined. The density, microstructure and superconducting properties of the resulting ceramic are influenced significantly by the shockwaves generated from the dynamic processing and a comparison is made between the two compaction processes employed. Critical temperatures of 92 and 94 K were obtained for the explosively and electromagnetically compacted billets, respectively. Such high energy rate forming techniques are of potential industrial interest for manufacturing superconducting components. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.