Improvements on the Properties of the In Situ MgB2/Fe Tapes Annealed by Spark Plasma Sintering Technique

In-situ MgB2/Fe tapes were fabricated by the powder in tube (PIT) technology using Mg and B powders. The tapes were sintered by both an advanced spark plasma sintering (SPS) and a conventional vacuum furnace, respectively. The effects of these two sintering routes on the properties of the MgB2 tapes were investigated by the analysis of XRD, SEM and the magnetic Jc measurements. It was shown that at 10K, 0T, the magnetic Jc value of the tape sintered using SPS machine at 800°C for 15min under 30MPa were close to 106A/cm2, which was higher than that of the tapes annealed at 700°C for 2h under pressureless vacuum condition. It was found that the density and the homogeneity of the MgB2 core were strongly improved using SPS sintering process, which explained why the MgB2 tapes sintered by SPS method have a higher Jc value. Further enhancement of Jc in the tapes is expected for the understanding of the SPS sintering mechanism.