ABSTRACT
Superconducting devices equipped with superconducting bulk materials are promising for contribution to the establishment of sustainable society. Superconducting bulk materials are subjected to electromagnetic force and thermal stress in the devices. Since the electromagnetic force and thermal stress increase as the bulk size and critical current become larger, improvements of the mechanical properties of superconducting bulk materials contribute the development of high-performance superconducting devices. Improvements of the mechanical properties, such as fracture strength and fracture toughness, are important for the development of high-performance superconducting devices equipped with superconducting bulk materials. However, the mechanical properties, especially fracture strength, depend on the evaluation methods. Mechanical properties of superconducting bulk materials REBaCuO and MgB2 are summarized in association with the evaluation methods. In order to overcome the problem, tensile test method for superconducting bulk materials has been developed.
