Abstract
A superconducting MgB2 compact was obtained by HIPing a rolled powder mixture of gas atomized Mg and amorphous B at a temperature ranging from 773 to 1073 K under a pressure of 150 MPa. It has been found that the HIP treatment promotes the formation and densification of MgB2. The MgB2 obtained by HIP at 773 K for 5 h shows a superconductivity at 38 K with a density of 2.1 Mg/m3 and a high Vickers pylamidal hardness of 1300 DPN. The superconducting transaction temperature of 23 K and dense structure is also obtained for the sample HIPed at a temperature as low as 873 K. Therefore, HIP is a useful way to prepare a superconducting MgB2 with a dense microstructure.
