The discovery of superconductivity in MgB₂ at 39 K raises questions about its current-carrying properties in magnetic fields. This study investigates whether MgB₂ behaves like high-temperature (HTS) cuprate superconductors or low-temperature metallic superconductors. Despite its high transition temperature, HTS materials have limitations in magnetic fields due to anisotropy and weak coupling at grain boundaries. In contrast, MgB₂ samples, despite being multi-phase and untextured, show strong supercurrents without the magnetic field sensitivity seen in Josephson-coupled grains. Magnetization measurements indicate good temperature scaling of flux pinning force, suggesting current density is determined by flux pinning. Two length scales are observed, likely due to phase inhomogeneity, porosity, and minority phases like MgO, not weakly coupled grain boundaries. The results suggest that polycrystalline MgB₂ is not compromised by weak link problems, which is significant for applications if higher temperature analogs are found. MgB₂ samples were synthesized by reacting Mg and boron powders, then hot-pressed. Magnetization measurements showed onset Tc of 37-38 K, with smooth transitions and some temperature dependence of the zero-field cooled moment. VSM measurements revealed hysteresis loops closing at about half of Hc2(T), with a smaller tail closing at 3/4 Hc2(T). Hc2(T) was determined as the field where the moment first deviated from the background. The value of Hc2(0) was found to be 17.5 T, giving a coherence length of ~4 nm, larger than typical HTS compounds. Flux pinning followed a Kramer-like function, with high current densities of ~10⁴ A/cm² at 25 K, increasing to ~4×10⁴ A/cm² at 4.2 K. The samples showed no texture, as indicated by X-ray analysis. Magneto-optical and scanning electron microscopy revealed superconducting inhomogeneity, with strong superconducting regions up to ~150 µm. These regions supported high current densities of ~10⁵ A/cm², indicating the presence of many high-angle grain boundaries and blocking insulating phases. The study concludes that MgB₂ is more akin to a low-Tc metallic superconductor than a high-Tc cuprate, with large current densities over many grain sizes. The Hc2(0) value of 17.5 T exceeds that of Nb-Ti but not Nb3Sn, and is low for a 38 K superconductor. However, the combination of high Tc and lack of granularity suggests new compounds based on this system could have interesting Tc, Hc2, and Jc values without requiring high texture.The discovery of superconductivity in MgB₂ at 39 K raises questions about its current-carrying properties in magnetic fields. This study investigates whether MgB₂ behaves like high-temperature (HTS) cuprate superconductors or low-temperature metallic superconductors. Despite its high transition temperature, HTS materials have limitations in magnetic fields due to anisotropy and weak coupling at grain boundaries. In contrast, MgB₂ samples, despite being multi-phase and untextured, show strong supercurrents without the magnetic field sensitivity seen in Josephson-coupled grains. Magnetization measurements indicate good temperature scaling of flux pinning force, suggesting current density is determined by flux pinning. Two length scales are observed, likely due to phase inhomogeneity, porosity, and minority phases like MgO, not weakly coupled grain boundaries. The results suggest that polycrystalline MgB₂ is not compromised by weak link problems, which is significant for applications if higher temperature analogs are found. MgB₂ samples were synthesized by reacting Mg and boron powders, then hot-pressed. Magnetization measurements showed onset Tc of 37-38 K, with smooth transitions and some temperature dependence of the zero-field cooled moment. VSM measurements revealed hysteresis loops closing at about half of Hc2(T), with a smaller tail closing at 3/4 Hc2(T). Hc2(T) was determined as the field where the moment first deviated from the background. The value of Hc2(0) was found to be 17.5 T, giving a coherence length of ~4 nm, larger than typical HTS compounds. Flux pinning followed a Kramer-like function, with high current densities of ~10⁴ A/cm² at 25 K, increasing to ~4×10⁴ A/cm² at 4.2 K. The samples showed no texture, as indicated by X-ray analysis. Magneto-optical and scanning electron microscopy revealed superconducting inhomogeneity, with strong superconducting regions up to ~150 µm. These regions supported high current densities of ~10⁵ A/cm², indicating the presence of many high-angle grain boundaries and blocking insulating phases. The study concludes that MgB₂ is more akin to a low-Tc metallic superconductor than a high-Tc cuprate, with large current densities over many grain sizes. The Hc2(0) value of 17.5 T exceeds that of Nb-Ti but not Nb3Sn, and is low for a 38 K superconductor. However, the combination of high Tc and lack of granularity suggests new compounds based on this system could have interesting Tc, Hc2, and Jc values without requiring high texture.