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An improved top seeded infiltration growth method for the fabrication of Y-Ba-Cu-O bulk superconductors


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Authors

Namburi, DK 
Palmer, KG 
Dennis, AR 
Durrell, JH 

Abstract

Buffer-aided top seeded infiltration and growth (TSIG) with a suitable liquid phase reservoir has been compared with the top seeded melt growth (TSMG) process and applied successfully to fabricate single grain YBCO bulk superconductors. A Yb-based liquid phase has been observed to yield the homogeneous, high density YBCO single grains by the TSIG technique. Sintering the Y-211 preform prior to TSIG has been found to be critical in retaining the shape of the sample during the infiltration and growth process. A number of advantages of the TSIG process have been demonstrated, including a dramatic reduction in sample shrinkage and a general improvement in bulk microstructure. TSIG processed samples also exhibit a fine and even distribution of unreacted, embedded Y-211 inclusions that play a key role in flux pinning in the fully processed bulk material. A YBCO sample of diameter 25 mm fabricated by the optimised buffer-aided TSIG process was able to trap a field of 0.63 T at 77 K, which is the highest value of trapped field ever reported for a YBCO sample fabricated by the TSIG process. The technique reported here has the potential to improve further the microstructural and superconducting properties of single grain bulk YBCO, which enhances further the applications potential of these materials.

Description

Keywords

YBCO, Infiltration and growth, Bulk superconductor, Pre-sintering, Buffer pellet

Journal Title

Journal of the European Ceramic Society

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0955-2219
1873-619X

Volume Title

36

Publisher

Elsevier BV
Sponsorship
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/P00962X/1)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/K02910X/1)
This work was supported by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology [KACST] and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council [EPSRC, grant number EP/K02910X/1].