Fabrication of Cube-Textured Ni-9%atW Substrate for YBCO Superconducting Wires Using Powder Metallurgy

Sharp cube textured Ni-9%atW alloy substrates were successfully achieved using the powder metallurgy process and gave promise for coated conductor with reduced AC losses and improved mechanical properties. X-ray studies indicated that the newly developed Ni-9%atW alloy substrates have a good out-of-plane and in-plane orientation with FWHM values about 3.7deg and 7.05deg respectively. Smooth surface as well as fine grains were obtained in the newly developed textured substrate. Curie temperature is suppressed to be 30 K and magnetic hysteretic losses are zero for Ni-9%atW alloy substrates at 77 K.