Effects of Overpressure Conditions on the Porosity of Bi-2212 Superconducting Wires

Abstract

Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+X), abbreviated as Bi-2212, has shown promise as a high-temperature superconducting material for use in powerful magnets. The material’s brittle character makes it difficult to work with. Because of this, additional study is necessary to better understand the microscopic properties of Bi-2212. One area of note is how the properties of Bi-2212 wires change after different pressure conditions are applied to them during heat treatment. This project used image analysis software and techniques to analyze SEM images of Bi-2212 wire samples that had been exposed to 10, 20, 50, and 100 bar over-pressure conditions.