Development of high-performance iron-based superconducting wires and tapes

Conventional powder-in-tube (PIT) method has been the most effective technique for fabricating iron-based superconducting wires and tapes. Tremendous advances have been made during the last few years, especially for 122 family pnictide tapes. Here we review some of the most recent and significant developments in making high-performance iron-based tapes by the ex-situ PIT process, paying particular attention to several fabrication techniques to realize high-field J(c) performance in terms of increase of core density and improvement of texture. At 4.2 K, the practical level transport J(c) up to 0.12 MA/cm(2) in 10 T and 0.1 MA/cm(2) in 14 T have been achieved in the K-doped 122/Ag tapes. As for multifilamentary 122 iron-based wires and tapes, the highest J(c) values reached so far are 61 kA/cm(2) and 35 kA/cm(2) at 4.2 K and 10 T, respectively for 7- and 19-core Sr-122 tapes. Recently, high J(c) Cu-cladded and stainless steel/Ag double-sheathed 122 tapes have also been produced in order to improve either mechanical properties or thermal stability. More importantly, the scalable rolling process has been used for the first time to demonstrate high J(c) values in 122 conductor tapes of 11 m in length. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.