Fabrication of SS316-Sheathed BPSCCO Superconducting Wire with the Addition of Carbon Nanotubes

This study aimed to determine the effects of using SS316 as a sheath of BPSCCO superconducting wire with the addition of 5 wt% carbon nanotubes. The method used in this research was powder in the tube (PIT), which consisted of several steps; namely preparation of precursors (Bi2O3, SrCO3, CaCO3, CuO2, PbO2, and carbon nanotube powder); manual mixing precursors using mortar agate for 3 hours; compaction of precursors in tubes; rolling the wire with the diameter up to 5 mm; calcinations at 820 °C for 20 hours; and sintering at 850 °C with time variation of 30 and 9 hours. The characterization was performed using cryogenic magnet to determine the value of critical temperature (Tc), SEM-EDX to analyze morphology, and XRD to discover the phase formed. From the research, it was found that the use of SS316 as a sheath for BPSCCO superconducting wire with the addition of 5 %wt carbon nanotubes affected the Tc. The system only produced the Tc onset of 100 K for the sample sintered for 30 hours, whereas the Tc zero was not produced.