Status and perspectives for microcomposite winding materials for high field pulsed magnets

A great variety of modern innovative research programs require magnetic fields of extremely high intensity. The principal drivers for high field magnets development have concentrated their efforts on pulse magnetic systems as the most economically effective devices. The availability of winding materials with unique combination of high strength and high conductivity has crucial importance for the designers of the new generation of large scale pulse magnets. Selecting the "best" material is usually a difficult task, requiring tradeoffs between different material properties including general physical properties and such properties as manufacturability and cost. The recent advances in exploration of the mechanism of anomalous increase of strength in two phase composite materials with nanoscaled microstructure have provided a sound basis for the research on technically useful winding wires. The present state of microcomposite winding wire development will be reviewed focusing on the complex interrelations between microstructure, mechanical and physical properties altogether with fabrication issues.