Development of a Low-Cost CHPD System for Densification of MgB ₂ Wires in Superconducting Applications

This study presents the design, fabrication, and validation of a cost-effective and compact CHPD system tailored for MgB<sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> wires. The device integrates a 5 cm hydraulic press with a precision machined D2 tool steel die, interchangeable plungers, and a guided alignment mechanism for uniform and repeatable densification. The system may apply pressures up to 2 GPa and enables continuous pressing along wire lengths via a 5 mm incremental overlap scheme. Optical microscopy and SEM analysis of square MgB<sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> wires processed using this system reveal substantial improvements in core density and microstructural homogeneity. Magnetization measurements confirm enhancements in JC over the entire field range at all temperatures, with up to 1.5 times improvement approximately under the pressure of 0.8 GPa. The results demonstrate that this CHPD setup reliably densifies MgB<sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> wires while preserving sheath integrity and offers comparable performance gains to more complex systems. Its modular, scalable, and low-cost design makes it an accessible tool for academic and industrial labs aiming to optimize MgB<sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> wire performance.