The critical current density (Jc) of hot isostatic pressed (HIPed) MgB2 wires, measured by d.c. transport and magnetization, is compared with that of similar wires annealed at ambient pressure. The HIPed wires have a higher Jc than the annealed wires, especially at high temperatures and magnetic fields, and higher irreversibility field (Hirr). The HIPed wires are promising for applications, with Jc>106 A/cm2 at 5 K and zero field and >104 A/cm2 at 1.5 T and 26.5 K, and Hirr ~ 17 T at 4 K. The improvement is attributed to a high density of structural defects, which are the likely source of vortex pinning. These defects, observed by transmission electron microscopy, include small angle twisting, tilting, and bending boundaries, resulting in the formation of sub-grains within MgB2 crystallites.
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