The improvement of the superconducting Y-Ba-Cu-O magnet characteristics through shape recovery strain of Fe-Mn-Si alloys

Since bulk Y-Ba-Cu-O superconductors are brittle ceramics, reinforcement of mechanical properties is important for practical applications. It has been reported that bulk Y-Ba-Cu-O can be reinforced with Al or Fe based alloy ring, in that compression force acts on bulk Y-Ba-Cu-O due to a difference in thermal expansion coefficients. However, the shrinkage of the metal ring was not so large, and therefore careful adjustment of the circumference of the bulk and the metal rings was necessary. In this study, we employed Fe-Mn-Si shape memory alloy rings to reinforce bulk Y-Ba-Cu-O. The advantage of the shape memory alloy is that the shrinkage can take place on heating, and furthermore, the alloy shrinks and compresses the bulk body on cooling. Bulk Y-Ba-Cu-O superconductor 22.8 mm in diameter was inserted in a Fe-Mn-Si ring 23.0 mm in inner diameter at room temperature. Beforehand, the Fe-Mn-Si ring was expanded by 12% strain at room temperature. Then the composite was heated to 673 K. At room temperature, the Fe-Mn-Si ring firmly gripped the bulk superconductor. We then measured trapped fields before and after the ring reinforcement, and found that the trapped field was improved through the treatment.