Synthesis and characterization of MgB2 superconductors with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and tin (Sn) addition
Abstract
MgB2/CNT is a promising candidate for superconducting wire application due to its excellent mechanical properties and carbon nanotube’s low density. However, strong interfacial adhesion between the CNT reinforcement and the MgB2 matrix is difficult to manage. Therefore, this study examines the synthesis and characterization of magnesium diboride (MgB2) superconductors with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and tin (Sn) addition. Determining the proper method and combination of CNT & Sn affects MgB2 superconductors is crucial. Raw materials of magnesium (Mg), boron (B), Sn, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were used for a solid-state reaction process to determine the proper synthesis method and the effect of CNT on superconductors’ critical temperature. Each sample was obtained by weighing the raw material first, followed by hand grinding with agate mortars for 3 hours. The pelletization was then conducted by using a compact pressing machine with a pressure of 350 MPa. The compacted samples were then sintered at 800 °C for 2 hours either through the vacuum or PIST process. Finally, all were characterized, and MgB2 was discovered to be the dominant phase with minor impurity phases such as MgO, Mg, Mg2Sn, C, and Sn. Based on SEM morphological analysis, the grain boundaries of sample A1 were more precise than B2. In both, the grain size also varies, and the distribution of elements is uneven. Subsequently, Cryogenic Magnet Characterization indicated that at 40 K, almost all samples possess superconducting characteristics. For future studies, the potential impact of MgB2 on critical current density (Jc) and magnetic density (Hc) in several commercial applications such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), magnetic levitation, and transformers needs to be investigated
Downloads
References
Acharya, N., Wolak, M. A., Melbourne, T., Cunnane, D., Karasik, B. S., Xi, X. (2017). As-Grown Versus Ion-Milled MgB2 Ultrathin Films for THz Sensor Applications. IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, 27 (4), 1–4. doi: https://doi.org/10.1109/tasc.2016.2645126
Morandi, A., Fiorillo, A., Pullano, S., Ribani, P. L. (2017). Development of a Small Cryogen-Free MgB2Test Coil for SMES Application. IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, 27(4), 1–4. doi: https://doi.org/10.1109/tasc.2017.2653202
Choi, J. H., Lee, D. G., Jeon, J. H., Lee, E. J., Maeda, M., Choi, S. (2018). Customized MgB2 Superconducting Wire Toward Practical Applications at Sam Dong in Korea. Journal of Superconductivity and Novel Magnetism, 32 (5), 1219–1223. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10948-018-4814-5
Sharma, D., Kumar, J., Vajpayee, A., Kumar, R., Ahluwalia, P. K., Awana, V. P. S. (2011). Comparative Experimental and Density Functional Theory (DFT) Study of the Physical Properties of MgB2 and AlB2. Journal of Superconductivity and Novel Magnetism, 24 (6), 1925–1931. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10948-011-1146-0
Xia, J., Li, M., Zhou, Y. (2017). Numerical investigations on the characteristics of thermomagnetic instability in MgB2bulks. Superconductor Science and Technology, 30 (7), 075004. doi: https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6668/aa73b3
Kononenko, V. V., Tarenkov, V. Y., Dyachenko, A. I., Varukhin, V. N. (2015). The critical current reaction on hydrostatic pressure of a superconductor–semimetal composite. Low Temperature Physics, 41 (3), 199–202. doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4915909
Saito, Y., Murakami, M., Matsumoto, A., Kumakura, H. (2017). Improvement in microstructure and superconducting properties of single-filament powder-in-tube MgB2wires by cold working with a swaging machine. Superconductor Science and Technology, 30 (6), 065005. doi: https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6668/aa6b48
Liu, D., Yong, H., Zhou, Y. (2017). A 3-D Numerical Model to Estimate the Critical Current in MgB2 Wire and Cable with Twisted Structure. Journal of Superconductivity and Novel Magnetism, 30 (7), 1757–1765. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10948-017-4017-5
Aldica, G., Burdusel, M., Popa, S., Enculescu, M., Pasuk, I., Badica, P. (2015). The influence of heating rate on superconducting characteristics of MgB2 obtained by spark plasma sintering technique. Physica C: Superconductivity and Its Applications, 519, 184–189. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physc.2015.10.004
Xia, Q., Yi, J., Peng, Y., Luo, S., Li, L. (2008). Microwave direct synthesis of MgB2 superconductor. Materials Letters, 62 (24), 4006–4008. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matlet.2008.05.043
Kurama, H., Erkuş, S. (2019). The effect of milling conditions on the magnetic and topological properties of MgB2 synthesized by high-energy ball mill and sintered at low temperature. Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society, 56 (2), 559–566. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41779-019-00365-z
Bhagurkar, A. G., Yamamoto, A., Dennis, A. R., Durrell, J. H., Aljohani, T. A., Nadendla, H. B., Cardwell, D. A. (2017). Microstructural evolution in infiltration-growth processed MgB2bulk superconductors. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 100 (6), 2451–2460. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.14792
Erdem, O., Yanmaz, E. (2015). Effect of Er doping on the superconducting properties of porous MgB 2. Bulletin of Materials Science, 38 (1), 89–93. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12034-014-0810-y
Grivel, J.-C., Pitillas, A., Namazkar, S., Alexiou, A., Holte, O. J. (2016). Preparation and characterization of MgB2 with Pd, Pt and Re doping. Physica C: Superconductivity and Its Applications, 520, 37–41. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physc.2015.11.001
Shahabuddin Shah, M., Shahabuddin, M., Parakkandy, J. M., Qaid, S., Alzayed, N. S. (2015). Enhanced critical current density in undoped MgB2 prepared by in situ/ex situ combination technique. Solid State Communications, 218, 31–34. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssc.2015.06.004
Xiong, J., Cai, Q., Ma, Z., Yu, L., Liu, Y. (2014). Enhancement of Critical Current Density in MgB2 Bulk with CNT-coated Al Addition. Journal of Superconductivity and Novel Magnetism, 27 (7), 1659–1664. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10948-014-2513-4
Cai, Q., Liu, Y., Ma, Z., Yu, L. (2013). Comparison of carbon-doped MgB2 bulks fabricated from pre-synthesized Mg/CNT and Mg/amorphous carbon composites. Applied Physics A, 114 (3), 919–924. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-013-7764-6
Imaduddin, A., Samsulludin, Wicaksono, M. R., Saefuloh, I., Herbirowo, S., Yudanto, S. D. et. al. (2019). The Doping Effects of SiC and Carbon Nanotubes on the Manufacture of Superconducting Monofilament MgB2 Wires. Materials Science Forum, 966, 249–256. doi: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.966.249
Shahabuddin, M., Madhar, N. A., Alzayed, N. S., Asif, M. (2019). Uniform Dispersion and Exfoliation of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in CNT-MgB2 Superconductor Composites Using Surfactants. Materials, 12 (18), 3044. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12183044
Ahmad, I., Hansdah, J. S., Sarangi, S. N., Sarun, P. M. (2020). Enhanced magnetic field dependent critical current density of MWCNT doped magnesium diboride superconductor. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 834, 155033. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2020.155033
Patel, D., Maeda, M., Choi, S., Kim, S. J., Shahabuddin, M., Parakandy, J. M. et. al. (2014). Multiwalled carbon nanotube-derived superior electrical, mechanical and thermal properties in MgB2 wires. Scripta Materialia, 88, 13–16. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2014.06.010
Fujii, H., Kitaguchi, H. (2020). Reduced sintering temperature in ex situ processed MgB2 tapes using filling powders with Sn addition. Physica C: Superconductivity and Its Applications, 576, 1353704. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physc.2020.1353704
Ozturk, O., Asikuzun, E., Kaya, S., Erdem, M., Safran, S., Kilic, A., Terzioglu, C. (2015). Ac Susceptibility Measurements and Mechanical Performance of Bulk MgB2. Journal of Superconductivity and Novel Magnetism, 28 (7), 1943–1952. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10948-015-3003-z
Copyright (c) 2022 Hendrik Hendrik, Muhammad Nur Farhanudin, Nono Darsono, Satrio Herbirowo, Darminto Darminto, Andika Widya Pramono, Agung Imaduddin

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Our journal abides by the Creative Commons CC BY copyright rights and permissions for open access journals.
Authors, who are published in this journal, agree to the following conditions:
1. The authors reserve the right to authorship of the work and pass the first publication right of this work to the journal under the terms of a Creative Commons CC BY, which allows others to freely distribute the published research with the obligatory reference to the authors of the original work and the first publication of the work in this journal.
2. The authors have the right to conclude separate supplement agreements that relate to non-exclusive work distribution in the form in which it has been published by the journal (for example, to upload the work to the online storage of the journal or publish it as part of a monograph), provided that the reference to the first publication of the work in this journal is included.