SUPERCONDUCTING AND FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS PROCESS AND MATERIALS SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
Brief information about the product range:
Production of long-length low-temperature superconducting strands based on Nb3Sn compound with a diameter of 0.5 to 2 mm and a critical current density per section (without copper) of 600-2,500 A/mm2 (12 T; 4.2 K).
Production of long-length low-temperature NbTi strands of any type (for accelerator equipment, medical NMR scanners, devices operating at industrial current frequencies, etc.) with a critical current density of 2,700-3,200 A/mm2 (5 T; 4.2 K).
Production of ceramic targets of various shapes and sizes for deposition of functional layers used in the the production of 2Gen high-temperature superconductors (2-GHTS). Target material: YBa2Cu3Ox (Y-123), GdBa2Cu3Ox (Gd-123), CeO2, Y2O3.
Production of metal tapes/substrates up to 1,200 m long for the application of functional layers in the production of HTS-2. Used material is 13cr25ni18 grade stainless steel with a roughness level of less than 10 nanometers.
Production of metal targets of various shapes and sizes for the application of the YSZ buffer layer in the production of HTS-2. Target material: Zr-Y alloy.
Production of ingots based on:
- copper-nickel alloys, manganese, yttrium, etc., as well as tin (14-16%) alloys for the manufacturing of superconductors based on Nb3Sn compound;
- alloys of copper with niobium and vanadium, for the manufacturing of high strength and electrical conductivity conductors (Cu~ 18% Nb, Cu ~ 12.5% V);
- niobium-zirconium alloys (Nb-1?1.5 Zr), and the superconducting niobium-titanium alloy (Nb~ 47% Ti);
- vanadium-tungsten alloys (VC 10% W);
- alloys of vanadium with titanium, chromium (VTX4-4), heat-resistant alloys with tungsten, zirconium, carbon and oxygen;
- zirconium-yttrium alloys (Zr~ 15% Y) for the manufacturing of targets for HTS-2;
- nickel-tungsten alloys (Ni~ 13-20%) for the manufacturing of tapes/substrates for HTS-2;
- high-purity copper with RRR ~ 300.
Production of bars, plates and pipes from refractory materials and alloys, hard-to-deform metals and alloys, structural steels, functional materials, and non-ferrous metals and alloys.
The Department employs modern equipment to produce:
- copper ingots and copper-based alloys (vacuum induction melting (VIM), vacuum arc melting (VAM);
- ingots of vanadium, niobium, titanium, zirconium, nickel and alloys based on these metals (vacuum arc melting (VAM);
- pipes made of stainless steel, copper, niobium, vanadium, tantalum, zirconium, hafnium, titanium and alloys of these metals, with the diameter of up to 8 mm;
- metal tapes made of stainless steel, copper, niobium, vanadium, tantalum, zirconium, hafnium, titanium and alloys of these metals, up to 0.2 mm thick and up to 160 mm wide.
Brief information about the services provided:
Conducting research and development of structures and processes for the manufacture of superconductors and their semi-products for them, development of technologies for smelting ingots of new alloys.
Conducting metallographic studies with the use of optical and scanning microscopes. Study of mechanical properties using microhardness testers and pull test machines.
Measurement of critical characteristics (critical current, critical temperature) of low-temperature superconducting materials in the range of magnetic fields within 0-12 T, in accordance with IEC 61788-1, 61788-2 and 61788-10. Measurement of critical characteristics (critical current, critical temperature) of high-temperature superconductors.
Measurement of the electrical resistance of metal materials in the range of 4.2 to 300 K (with an external magnetic field of 0 T) and within magnetic fields of 0 to 12 T (at a temperature of 4.2 K) in accordance with IEC 61788-11.
Estimation of the degradation of the current-voltage characteristic of superconducting materials (parameter n, spread s).
Measurement of residual electrical resistance.
Measurement of electrical conductivity of metal materials in % IACS.
Delivering lectures on popular science in the field of industrial superconductivity.
The Department employs modern equipment used for:
- Development of processes for smelting of non-ferrous and refractory metals and alloys based on them: Ti, TA, Nb, Hf, V, Zr, Cu, Ni, etc.
- Extrusion of blanks from metals, alloys, and composite blanks, using hydraulic presses with the capacity of 2000 tf, 1600 tf, 700 tf, 250 tf, 100 tf and 63 tf.
- Development of processes for manufacturing pipes made of stainless steel, copper, niobium, vanadium, tantalum, zirconium, hafnium, titanium and their alloys, and their rolling on HPTR type mills from the diameter of 60 mm to the diameter of 8 mm (wall thickness of 8 mm to 0.5 mm).
- Rolling and straightening of metal and composite sheets with the use of sheet rolling mills.
- Vacuum annealing of samples and blanks at temperatures of up to 1,600°C.
- Forging of blanks.
- Mechanical processing of products made of non-ferrous and refractory metals and alloys.