MgB2 Medium-Temperature Superconducting Wire Production at Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies Exceeds 1000 Meter Unit Length

Bruker Energy and Supercon Technologies, Inc. (BEST) announced today the completion of its first 1000 meter unit length magnesium diboride (MgB2) superconducting wire, with a strand Je of up to 91 A/mm² at 4.2K and 5T. The MgB2 wire strand is designed to fit into a wire-in-channel superconductor design, focusing on applications in magnetic fields up to 5 Tesla, like clinical or pre-clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) magnets.

The new MgB2 wire has a twist pitch of 75 mm and a Monel sheath, and was manufactured within the framework of the R&D collaboration agreement between BEST and IFW Dresden, based on the proprietary mechanical alloying route developed by IFW Dresden. The next step is the assembly of the MgB2 strand into an insulated wire-in-channel (WIC) superconductor.

Dr. Klaus Schlenga, Chief Technology Officer at BEST, stated: “This conductor is the first 1000 meter unit length MgB2 wire of BEST, and therefore a significant step in the development of a long length MgB2 production at BEST. The wire was manufactured together with our R&D partner IFW Dresden at BEST’s facilities in Hanau under industrial production conditions. The collaboration with IFW Dresden has been extremely fruitful and has achieved the expected goals.”

Dr. André Aubele, the BEST MgB2 R&D project leader, said: “We have been able to reach state-of-the-art MgB2 performance with our 1000 meter binary MgB2 wire by using magnesium and boron raw materials of industrial quality, which are produced today in quantities of tons. We believe that we can further increase wire performance, especially by using special high quality boron raw material and by optimizing our wire design and production.”

Mr. Reinhard Dietrich, BEST Director of Sales and Marketing for superconducting materials, commented: “In order to reach comparable performance and price levels to today’s NbTi wires for MRI systems, further R&D in terms of increased Je performance and manufacturing optimization is necessary. Medium-temperature MgB2 superconductors could then be the material of choice for future generations of liquid cryogen-free MRI magnets operating at temperatures of 10-20 Kelvin without the need for liquid nitrogen or liquid helium cryogens.”

About Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies:

Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies, Inc. (BEST) is a subsidiary of Bruker Corporation (NASDAQ: BRKR). BEST is a world-leading supplier of superconductors as well as superconducting components and devices for alternative energy, smart grid, ‘big science’, industrial and healthcare applications. BEST solutions have the potential to enhance the reliability and efficiency of electrical power grids and large energy demanding applications. The product range encompasses the world’s broadest portfolio of high performance superconductors, superconducting magnets and devices for industrial and research applications, as well as accelerator technologies, including turn-key systems. For more information on BEST, please visit: www.bruker-est.com.