Pre-industrial PIT conductor and coil development at Alcatel

In 1995 the PIT conductor development was strengthened at Alcatel and important progress has been achieved since. During 1997 the patented rectangular Alcatel route was upscaled and pre-industrial conductors have been fabricated in a wire drawing mill. After the successful transfer the first high performance conductors have been realized in kilometer lengths. The conductors are realized in cooperation with Aventis Research and Technologies using precursor powders optimized for the Alcatel conductor route. The simpler Bi-2212/AgPd matrix conductor is used as a working horse where engineering current densities of J/sub e/=65 kA/cm/sup 2/ have been reached at 4 K, 0 T. Significant progress has also been achieved on Bi-2223 conductors where critical current densities of J/sub c/=30 kA/cm/sup 2/ at 77 K, 0 T are reached. First solenoids generating a field up to 2.3 Tesla have been realized using Bi-2212 conductors. In a background field of 3 Tesla this magnet still generates a field of 2 Tesla. The results on test coils are consistent with J/sub c/(H) measurements on short samples showing that an important step towards high homogeneity conductors has been achieved.