Journal of Material Sciences & Engineering

Evidence of Point Pinning Centers in Un-Doped Mgb2 Wires at 20 K after HIP Process

Abstract

Gajda D, Morawski A, Zaleski AJ, Häßler W, Nenkov K, Rindfleisch M, Cetner T and Tomsic M

In this paper we present results of transport critical current density (Jc) at 20 K and 4.2 K, irreversible magnetic field (Birr), upper critical field (Bc2), critical temperature (Tc), pinning force (Fp), scanning pinning force scaling results (Fp/Fpmax and B/Birr) and electron microscope (SEM) images of un-doped MgB2 wires of 0.63 mm diameter. All wires were annealed at pressures ranging from 0.1 MPa to 1 GPa for 15 min between 680°C to 740°C. SEM images show that 1 GPa pressure yields small grains, higher MgB2 material density, and small voids. The results obtained by a physical properties measurement system (PPMS) show that high pressure (1 GPa) and 700°C annealing slightly decreases Tc above 27 K and increases Tc and Birr below 25 K. Un-doped MgB2 wire annealed in 1 GPa for 15 min at 680°C at has a 20 K, 4.5 T Jc of 100 A/mm2 in and a Birr of 7 T. At 4.2 K, this wire has Jc of 100 A/mm2 at 10.5 T. Scaling results show that the dominant pinning mechanism is point pinning for undoped MgB2 wires under 1 GPa pressure and annealed at 680°C (at 20 K).