Superconducting materials play a central role in various technologies, from magnetic resonance imaging to magnetic levitation trains. However, their mechanical vulnerability remains a challenge, especially for high-temperature ceramic superconductors. A research team led by David Dunand of the McCormick School of Engineering has developed an additive manufacturing method that addresses this issue and improves the performance of such materials.
“Ceramic-based cuprates are common high-temperature superconductors, and, because they operate with liquid nitrogen, are immensely cheaper and easier to work with than low temperature metal superconductors,” said David Dunand, professor of materials science and engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering. “The shapes these materials can make, however, have been limited because of their brittleness. You’d like to be able to make complex objects that are optimized for energy efficiency.”
Ceramic superconductors, especially copper oxides such as yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO), are cheaper and easier to handle than metallic cryogenic superconductors due to their ability to operate with liquid nitrogen. However, their application is limited by their brittleness, as complex shapes are difficult to produce. Dunand’s team and researchers at Fermilab have developed a method using a special 3D printing technique to process these materials into optimized structures.
The process begins with an ink that is made from a YBCO powder and extruded through a syringe. This creates microstructures or complex geometries, which are then transformed into monocrystalline structures using a melt growth method. This enables a significant improvement in electrical and thermal properties as grain boundaries, which normally inhibit current flow, are eliminated.
“People have made single crystals in a block of material, and we’ve shown we can use this same technique with 3D printing,” Zhang said. “During our process, we can fabricate complex shapes, such as toroidal coils, with a single crystal seed placed on top. Through a controlled processing window, these 3D-printed parts partially melt and transform into single crystals, retaining their original 3D-printed shape.”
“At Fermilab, we are developing the next-generation superconducting magnets that will drive scientific experiments for decades to come,” Cristian Boffo, PIP-II project manager at Fermilab, said. “The technology created through this collaboration will enable designs that were previously unimaginable, thereby enhancing our potential for advancement.”
Fermilab is working on the next generation of superconductor magnets for scientific experiments, which could be further optimized using this technology. In the long term, this method could also be applied to other ceramic superconductors with higher operating temperatures, which would open up new applications in science and industry.
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