In this

composite wire configuration for our experiments. configuration, it has already been shown that the superconductor can be fabricated using silver as the tube material. Silver is non-reactive with respect to the cuprate superconductors but allows for rapid oxygen diffusion. Further, silver or silver oxide can be incorporated into the cuprate matrix, possibly enhancing ductility and providing a source of

oxygen.

Wire can be fabricated either by wire drawing or by extrusion. Wire drawing is a more economical and commercially desirable process because it can be easily made into a continuous operation. On the other hand hydrostatic extrusion often allows for easy separation of experimental variables and is therefore of great benefit for fundamental studies or for situations where wire drawing is just not suitable. In our research, two different configurations for a composite ceramic wire have been used. In one case, we have used a thick wall silver tube with a variety of cuprate superconducting ceramic powders packed inside; so far we have used this configuration with our experiments on wire fabrication by hydrostatic extrusion. This composite has been

demonstrated to be in the superconducting state after final fabrication by levitation testing over a magnet submersed in liquid nitrogen; we are now in the process of making direct transport measurements. The other configuration we have used has consisted of a thin wall silver tube containing the superconducting ceramic powder, both of which are placed inside a thick wall tube made of either stainless steel, nickel, or

copper. The higher strength outer material makes the assembly more amenable to wire drawing because of the higher wire pulling load that can be applied. Here also, the outer tube may be removed after wire

5

drawing for further processing.

However, after interim annealing

operations, these composites have shown significant reaction between the

superconductor and the outer tube material, right through the thin

silver interlayer.

This has significant implication for the future

development of commercial wire products, for fabrication of

multifilamentary wires, and for joining technology in general. A major part of our current research is focussed on the development of methods and the selection of materials that would eliminate this detrimental

reaction.

However,

I would now like to turn to some of the funding issues related to superconducting ceramic research, for the amount and nature of the available funding support is critical to the ultimate success of this area of technology. Some of my colleagues at Lehigh have been concerned with superconducting materials for many years; for example, Professor Avitzur has been sponsored by the Department of Energy for his research on composite metal wires for high-field magnetic applications. research with the new ceramic superconductors requires expertise in many different areas including powder preparation, microstructure characterization, fabrication techniques, physical property measurement, Too much of the research work performed so far has been done on poorly characterized material obtained from relatively non-reproducible production methods; much of this work will have to be repeated "nder better laboratory conditions.

etc.

At Lehigh, we have been aggressive in terms of our desire to overcome many of these problems through the formation of a consortium in this research area. As you may know, Congressman Ritter has been a strong proponent of consortia for superconductivity research and we are particularly thankful for his help in the initiation of our own program.

The Lehigh University Consortium on Superconducting Ceramics (LUCSC) is currently composed of eleven industrial corporations and government laboratories who provide funding to our university. Some of these companies have been involved with research in superconductivity for many years, others are newcomers to the field. This funding is matched to a significant degree by the State of Pennsylvania'a Ben Franklin Partnership Program. In all, LUCSC has operated during the past year with about $400,000.00 in funding. These funds have been used to develop central laboratories for superconducting ceramic powder preparation and characterization, and for physical property measurements; and to perform specific research projects related to: fabrication of superconducting wire, tape casting, development of high critical current density, solid state chemistry, microstructural studies, high frequency measurements and ultrasonic measurement of the elastic behavior of superconductors. The availability of these funds has enabled the growth of a strong interdisciplinary character to our research. The consortial arrangement has enabled us to interact with members of the industrial and government laboratory communities and has had significant influence on the perception of our own research work. We hope that it enhances technology transfer and commercialization in the future.

Despite our initial success, as we are negotiating for the second year funding for the operation of LUCSC, we are experiencing some problems. This is due mainly to funding difficulties encountered by our government laboratory members relating to a general DOD freeze on all R & D commitments, and to the realization by one or two industrial members that the development of useful applications of superconductive materials will not take place in a short period of time.

7

When the new high T

C

superconductors were first discovered, there was much hope and speculation that they could be moved quickly into the marketplace. This has proved not to be true and correspondingly the intensity of interest has to some extent decreased. I would therefore like to comment on my views concerning the need for long term focused government support of research in superconductivity.

- an

In July of 1987, at a conference on superconductivity in Washington, DC., President Reagan announced a broad federal program "11-point superconductivity initiative" to promote research and speed commercial development. Congressmen Dave McCurdy (D-OK) and Don Ritter (R-PA) have both introduced bills related to superconductivity, originally calling for funding in fiscal 1989; these bills have been merged into compromise legislation (H.R. 3048) but with funding probably not until fiscal 1990. We are therefore already one year off our original target. As pointed out by Congressman Ritter, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) program for superconductor manufacturing and processing technology is badly underfunded because of other budgetary pressures. I am also concerned about the nature of the DARPA program itself. It is not clear how the research findings from this program will be disseminated to the general science community and to industry. DARPA's work is presumably unclassified but there has been little information on the research being performed by the industrial groups being supported through the program.

Except for the DARPA-DOD program, no new funding has actually come through for superconductivity research. Instead, federal agencies continue to reallocate funds from other budget areas. This has caused a number of problems. For example, the Materials Research Division of NSF

requested a 9.8% increase for fiscal 1988, it received a 1.8% increase;

the Low Temperature Physics Program, which funded Paul Chu's work,

requested a 10.0% increase. for fiscal 1988, it received a 2.5%

increase.

Other previously funded grants with the Division were asked to cut their existing funding by 10%. The real increase in funds into the Low Temperature Physics Program was small and the program director has left the Foundation. The existing non-superconductivity research work is now underfunded and these researchers are feeling the pressure. As well, program managers in other agencies who also operate with a peer review system, find that, because of the rapid pace of research in this area, the superconductivity research that had been proposed has already been performed by the investigator or by another research laboratory by the time the peer review process is complete. We must find new ways to plan and fund research in an environment which moves with the rapid pace we have in today's world.

Finally, I would like to make some comments comparing our R & D situation to that of other countries; in particular, to that in Japan. American businessmen are often frustrated by the propensity of the Japanese for prolonged and detailed negotiation over contractural agreements and the time consuming group, consensus approach that they take. However, once the plans and negotiations are successfully completed, the Japanese dedicate themselves fully to the project and are prepared for long term commitment. Therefore, even though the Japanese may not be first to develop and market a product, they have a great ability to know when to become involved, and once in the game they have great endurance. The Japanese approach to scientific and technological Good planning and a national policy with focused

research is similar.