PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING WIRE OR STRIP FROM HIGH-TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTORS AND SHEATHS USED FOR IMPLEMENTING SAID PROCESS

摘要

In a known process, oxide powders derived from the four-component systems yttrium-barium-copper-oxygen or lanthanum-strontium-copper-oxygen are mixed, pressed, sintered, ground and then heat-treated to produce a superconducting material which can be shaped to the desired cross-section. According to the invention, the powder is compacted by isostatic pressing and the blank so obtained is extruded at a temperature >/= 500 DEG C to form a metallic sheath with a deformation ratio of at least 90 %. The extruded blank is then converted to wire or strip. The current-carrying capacity of the high-temperature superconductor is improved by the extrusion and the resulting alignment of the crystallites. The process can be implemented using known high-temperature semiconducting materials.