Efficient incorporation of silver to improve superconducting fibers

摘要

An improved method for the efficient incorporation of a metal such as silver in a superconducting material includes blending the metal with a high temperature superconductor or precursor powder and consolidating the same into pellets. The pellets are charged directly into a heating assembly where it is melted and heated sufficiently to a uniform temperature prior to fiberization. Droplets of the melted blend fall through a collar into a nozzle where they are subjected to a high velocity gas to break the melted material into ligaments which solidify into improved flexible fibers having the metal homogeneously dispersed therein. The flexible fibers are collected by directing means against a collection filter.