Image analysis of superconducting composites

Image analysis of multifilament superconducting materials can yield quantitative analysis of many critical parameters that affect conductor performance. The techniques for analysis are described, and examples of each of the techniques applied to samples from the Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory (SSCL) vendor qualification program are presented. SSCL has image analysis capabilities over the range of 0.5* to 10,000*. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis equipped with the same image analysis system at Sandia National Laboratory extends these capabilities to over 150,000*. Among the analysis routines for composite materials are the local area ratio, barrier volume fraction, barrier inside perimeter, barrier outside perimeter, barrier thickness filament roundness, filament area, filament perimeter, transmission X-ray negative analysis, and feature position analysis TEM work also provides analysis of alpha -phase titanium precipitate volume fraction, precipitate thickness, and precipitate spacing.<>