We developed a novel yet commercially viable strategy of synthesizing superior high-TC superconducting composites by dispersing fully exfoliated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) uniformly throughout the grain of CNT-MgB2 composites. First, we optimized the amount of the surfactant required to produce a highly stable and homogeneous colloidal suspension of CNTs. This amount was found to be 1/8th of the amount of CNTs. Second, we prepared a homogeneous CNT-B mixture by adding amorphous nano-boron (B) to the colloidal CNT suspension. Next, two different MgB2 synthesis routes were explored. In one case, we mixed an appropriate amount of Mg in the CNT-B mixture and carried out sintering. In the second case, the CNT-B mixture was heat treated at 500 °C, prior to mixing with Mg and sintering to form CNT-MgB2. Both kinds of samples were rigorously characterized to obtain an insight into their properties. The direct synthesis route shows a clear exfoliation and uniform dispersion of CNTs with a critical current density (JC) of 104 A/cm2 at 3.5 T and 20 K, which is useful for the application in magnetic resonance imaging MRI magnet operating with a cryogen free cooler. Our JC(H) result is 10 times higher than that of the pure sample. By contrast, the performance of the sample subjected to heat processing before sintering was severely compromised given the formation of MgO. Despite its simplicity, the direct synthesis route can be used for the cost-effective fabrication of CNT-MgB2 superconducting composites.
Keywords: CNTs; MgB2; current density; dispersion; surfactant.