Investigation of Local Damage Effect on Nb3Sn Superconductor Properties

When twisted into a cable, reduced, and wrapped, Nb3Sn composite superconductors are subject to significant deformation and can sustain damage that will affect their electrophysical properties. This article examines the effect of artificially induced surface damage on the electrophysical characteristics and microstructure of 0.82 and 0.7 mm in diameter Nb3Sn superconductors fabricated by the bronze technology and the internal tin source method. It is shown that the critical current of the deformed samples decreases with increasing depth, amount, and extent of the damage. The current-carrying capacity of a superconductor decreases with increasing deformation produced by flattening wire samples to thickness 0.6–0.4 mm.