Mechanical stabilization of BSCCO-2223 superconducting tapes

A system to provide mechanical stabilization to high temperature BSCCO-2223 superconducting tape by laminating 0.081 mm thick, spring hard, copper foil to both sides with lead-tin eutectic solder has been successfully optimized. This system has been applied as a method to create a strong, windable composite with a minimum of critical current (I/sub c/) degradation. The "as received" conductor is evaluated for physical consistency of width and thickness. Electrical degradation in the strengthened tape as a result of lamination was found to average 24 percent. This was less than the degradation that would have occurred in an unstrengthened tape during subsequent insulation and coil winding processes. The copper can double the ultimate tensile strength of the pure silver tapes. Additionally, pure silver and dispersion strengthened silver matrix tapes are laminated with 0.025 mm thick copper and 304 stainless steel foil to investigate minimization of the cross sectional area of the strengthening component. The stainless steel can increase the UTS of the pure silver tapes sixfold. Mechanical properties and critical currents of these tapes are also reported both before and after strengthening. The I/sub c/ is also measured as a function of strain on the laminated tapes.