A composite superconducting material (8) is made of ceramic superconductingparticles (5) which are coated with a noble material (4) and surrounding by ametal matrix material (6). The metal matrix material (6) fills the regionsbetween the coated ceramic particles (5). The noble material (4) is chemicallynonreactive with the ceramic. Preferably, it is silver. The coating serves tochemically insulate the ceramic superconducting particles (5) from the matrixmaterial (6). The matrix material is a metal that is susceptible to thesuperconducting proximity effect. Preferably, it is a NbTi alloy. The matrixmaterial (6) is induced to become superconducting by the superconductingproximity effect when the temperature of the superoconducting material (8) isbelow the critical temperature of the ceramic superconducting particles (5).The superconducting material (8) has the improved mechanical properties of thematrix material (6). An alternative embodiment of the invention utilizesuncoated A15 compound superconducting particles in a metal matrix materialwhich is preferably a NbTi alloy.
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