Method of forming intermetallic superconductors

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF FORMING A SUPERCONDUCTIVE NB3SN LAYER ON A DUCTILE BASE COMPRISING AT LEAST AN OUTER LAYER OF NIOBIUM COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: PLACING A LAYER OF TIN IN CONTACT WITH THE NIOBIUM SURFACE, HEATING THE TIN AND NIOBIUM TO PRODUCE AN INTERDIFFUSION LAYER OF NB3SN AT THE NIOBIUM TIN INTERFACE, SIMULTANEOUSLY PHYSICALLY CONFINING SAID TIN SO THAT IT REMAINS IN CONTACT WITH THE NIOBIUM SURFACE, THE HEATING BEING CONTINUED FOR A SUFFICIENTLY LONG TIME AND AT A SUFFICIENTLY SLEVATED TEMPERATURE TO PRODUCE AN INTERMETALLIC LAYER THAT CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY X-RAY DIFFRACTION, THE HEAT TREATMENT BEING STOPPED BEFORE INTERDIFFSUION PROCEEDS TO THE TPOINT WHERE THE COMPOSITE STRUCTURE LOSES DUCTILITY, WHERE IN SAID PHYSICALLY CONFINING STEP IS ACCOMPLISEHD BY TIGHTLY WINDING THE CONTACTING NIOBIUM AND TIN INTO A SPOOL AND THE HEATING STEP COMPRISES PLACING THE SPOOL INTO A METALLURGICAL FURNACE, AND WHEREIN THE TURNS OF THE SPOOL ARE SEPARATED BY A REFRACTORY WASH TO PREVENT STICKING OF ADJACENT TURNS VIA THE FORMATION OF NB3SN BRIDGES.