Selected properties of GlidCop® sheathed MgB2 wires

GlidCop® sheathed MgB2 wires containing 1–30 filaments have been manufactured by a powder-in-tube process. Two materials (Nb or Ti) have been used for barriers protecting the filaments against the diffusion of copper. Different deformations (drawing, rolling, rotary swaging and isostatic pressing) have been applied to the 30-filament wires prior to the final heat treatment. Critical current densities, Jc, were measured at low external magnetic fields including the self-field and at temperatures from 4.2 to 20 K by a short pulse currents. This allows a detailed pinning force analysis to be made, which has not been done up to now from the transport current data. The resistance of 1–30 filament wires against axial tensile stress has also been examined at 4.2 K. It was found that filament density influences not only the transport Jc but also the resistance to tension stress. While an increased filament density improves Jc the opposite effect has been found for resistance to axial tension. AC losses measured by a calibration-free technique of non-twisted wires have shown the dominant effect of the filament architecture and critical current densities.