Preparation and Properties of Advanced MgB2 Wires and Tapes

Only five years after the discovery of superconductivity in MgB2 first wires and tapes are used in technical applications. Different companies started to produce conductors with length above 1 km and to demonstrate their feasibility for different applications with small demonstrator coils. However, the physical and technical performance of these conductors is still significantly below the potential of this material and furthermore MgB2 conductors stand in strong competition with technical NbTi wires. This contribution gives a review about different approaches of MgB2 conductor development, about conductor performance and the potential for further improvements.