Some properties of NbTiTa ternary alloys

There is a need for a relatively low cost, trouble free material for use in intermediate field (10.5T to 11.0T) accelerator magnets. These would operate at 1.9 K and the aim is to produce ductile material with properties superior, at that temperature, to those of the 46.5 wt.% Ti 53.5 wt.% Nb binary alloy. Three alloys were plasma melted to ensure high homogeneity. The compositions were, in weight percentage, Ta17Ti44Nb39 Ta28Ti41Nb31, Ta12Ti46Nb42. These three alloys were processed as monofilamentary material and tested after a series of different heat treatments. Attempts were made to optimize J/sub c/ for each of the compositions at 4.2 K and these samples were then tested at 1.9 K and the shift in the field for a constant J/sub c/ determined. A similar investigation on multifilamentary materials of these compositions is now being carried out.