STRAIN TOLERANCE OF BI2SR2CA1CU2O8-DELTA/AG COMPOSITES AT HIGH-FIELD

Strain tolerance of Bi2Sr2Ca1Cu2O8-delta/Ag composites have been studied at fields up to 20 T and bending strains up to 2.6% in order to determine the factors that control the critical current density. The goal is to find the best way to distribute Ag such as to give both high strain tolerance and high critical current density. Partial melt processed samples prepared from micromilled mixtures containing 30% Ag by volume show a gradually decreasing critical current all the way out to 2.6% strain. Samples typically show about 1000 A/cm2 at 4.2 K, 20 T, and 0.75% strain. At 20 K, these values occur at 4 T and 0.75% strain.