Performance evaluation of differently structured RCE-DR GdBCO coated conductor tapes under uniaxial tension at 77 K

The mechanical properties of REBCO coated conductor (CC) tapes under uniaxial tension are mainly determined by the thick layer components like the substrate and the stabilizer. Depending on the applications of the CC tapes, it is also needed to externally reinforce thin metallic foils to one side or both sides of the CC tapes. This study investigated the effect of additional stabilizer layers or lamination on the electrical resistivity and electromechanical properties in RCE-DR processed GdBCO CC tapes with different structures. The strain/stress tolerance of I-c in differently processed 12 mm-wide REBCO CC tapes under uniaxial tension at 77 K and self-field could be determined by the loading-unloading scheme. As a result, Sn-Cu stabilized CC tape showed a significant decrease in mechanical properties due to its soft but thick stabilizing layer. However, similar electromechanical properties have been observed on both Sn-Cu and Sn-stabilized CC tapes, the I-c degradation behavior was independent of whether the CC tape has an external reinforcement or different stabilizing layers.