Enhanced Jc property in nano-SiC doped thin MgB 2/Fe wires by a modified in situ PIT process

A modified in situ PIT process, which included a short time pre-annealing and intermediate drawing step in the conventional in situ PIT process, was employed to fabricate thin round MgB ₂/Fe wires from MgH ₂ and B powders. The pores and cracks resulted from the MgH ₂ decomposition during the pre-annealing were effectively eliminated by the intermediate drawing step, which subsequently increased the core density and J_c property of final heat treated wires. A higher reduction rate after the pre-annealing led to a larger enhancement in J_c within this study. The reproducibility of our new process on the J_c improvement in MgB ₂ wires was confirmed in two series of wires doped with 5 mol% or 10 mol% nano-SiC particles separately.