HL-LHC magnet endurance test further confirms niobium–tin’s resilience

Future accelerator projects, including the high-luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider, will rely on niobium–tin (Nb3Sn) alloys for their superconducting components, such as electromagnets. The higher superconducting abilities of this material will be key in increasing the performances of our discovery machines, but stringent tests are necessary to demonstrate the resilience of niobium–tin components, as the alloy is known to be more brittle than niobium–titanium, of which current LHC components are made.