Patent ID: 7325293

Claim:
A method of making a superconducting wire, comprising the steps of: a) melting an alloy of elemental niobium and Nb 2 O 5 to produce an ingot of elemental niobium having oxygen dissolved therein; b) melting zirconium and the niobium ingot to form a niobium alloy, the niobium alloy having zirconium and oxygen in solid solution, wherein zirconium and oxygen are present in an atomic ratio of about 1:2; c) forming at least one niobium alloy rod from the niobium alloy; d) providing a metallic matrix material to the at least one niobium alloy rod; e) forming a wire from the metallic matrix material and the at least one niobium alloy rod, the metallic matrix material comprising between about 5 weight percent and about 13 weight percent Sn; and f) heat treating the wire at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time such that the wire comprises filaments formed from a plurality of Nb 3 Sn grains having a plurality of ZrO 2 precipitates disposed therein, wherein the plurality of Nb 3 Sn grains have an average grain size of less than about 1 micron, thereby forming the superconducting wire.