FABRICATION OF THICK LAYERED SUPERCONDUCTIVE CERAMIC (BI-PB-SR-CA-CU-O) METAL COMPOSITE STRIPS BY EXPLOSIVE CLADDING AND ROLLING/

Explosive cladding, subsequent rolling and heat treatment are employed to fabricate a composite (sandwich) strip consisting of an intermedia te high temperature superconducting ceramic layer of the Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-C u-O compound and two metal silver plates. Macro- and microstructural e xperimental observations regarding the quality of the product at the v arious stages of the fabrication were evaluated using optical and scan ning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques, whilst the superconducting properties of the composite strips were obtained using ac-magnetic susceptibility techniques; preliminary dc-resistivity mea surements were made also to evaluate further the superconductive prope rties of the material. Post-fabrication heat-treatment in air resulted in improved superconductivity of the heat-treated strips as compared to the residual superconductivity obtained after rolling, leading ther efore to useful conculsions regarding the applicability of the fabrica ted composite plates in the electrical and electronic industries.