Delamination behaviour of GdBCO coated conductor tapes under transverse tension

•Installation of a test frame which gives precisely aligned transverse load.•Investigation of Ic degradation behaviour depending on the type of sample delamination.•Inhomogeneity of the CC tapes caused large variation on delamination strength.•SEM and EDS analysis of delamination sites under transverse loading.

The electromechanical property behaviour of 2G coated conductor (CC) tapes fabricated by multi-layer deposition process both in the in-plane and transverse direction should be understood. The CC tapes are used in the fabrication of epoxy resin-impregnated coils. In such case, the Lorentz force due to the high magnetic field applied as well as the thermal stress due to the difference in coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) among constituent layers during cooling to cryogenic temperature will induce transversely applied load to the surface of CC tapes in coils. Hence, the CC tape should have a good mechanical property in the transverse direction in order to maintain its superior performance under magnetic field. In this study, a test frame which gives precisely aligned transverse load was devised. Using the fixture, the delamination behaviours including the delamination strength of the GdBCO CC tapes under transverse tensile loading were investigated. Large variation on the delamination strength of the CC tapes was recorded and might have resulted from the slit edge effect and the inhomogeneity of the CC tapes. The Ic degradation behaviour under transverse load was related to the location where delamination occurred in the sample.