A method for the fabrication of filaments of niobium titanium (NbTi) or niobium tin (Nb3Sn), comprises the use of a single crystal precursor material. The crystallographic orientation of the precursor material may be optimised such that in subsequent wire manufacturing processes the distribution and orientation of dislocations is optimised, and subsequent precipitation of α-Ti occurs in the most beneficial way for flux pinning. The use of the single crystal precursor material may precede the extrusion of a NbTi or Nb3Sn rod prior to encapsulation within a copper tube or growing the rod. Encapsulation may be followed by a drawing step. The Nb3Sn may be grown by solid state diffusion in situ. A crystal orientation of the grown intermetallic compound may be determined by the crystal orientation of the initial constituent materials. The filaments may be used in wire forming a superconductor typically used in MRI magnets. The figure shows the temperature stability of α-Ti precipitates.
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