Aluminum Company of America

William E Libent

Siba P Ray

C Norman Cochran

An in situ formed superconducting cermet comprising an interwoven matrix of a superconducting ceramic and a noble metal and a method of making same are disclosed. An initial mixture is formed comprising (1) a first reactant selected from the class consisting of one or more noble metals in an oxidized state, and a mixture of one or more oxidized noble metals and one or more noble metals; (2) one or more rare earth-bearing reactants selected from the class consisting of one or more rare earths in an oxidized state, one or more rare earths in elemental form, and a combination thereof; (3) one or more alkaline earth-bearing reactants selected from the class consisting of one or more alkaline earth metals in an oxidized state, one or more alkaline earth metals, and a combination thereof; and (4) a copper based reactant selected from the class consisting of copper oxide, an oxide of a copper base alloy, elemental copper, a copper base alloy, and a combination of two or more thereof; wherein at least one of said rare earth-bearing, alkaline earth metal-bearing, or copper based reactants is in elemental form. The mixture of reactants is reaction sintered together to reduce at least a portion of the first reactant and to oxidize at least a portion of the other reactants to form a superconducting cermet in situ consisting essentially of an interwoven matrix of a noble metal and a superconductive ceramic.

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Vandergrift, PA, United States of America

William E Libent