Effects of heat treatment temperature on the formation of MgB2 bulk superconductors prepared using MgB4 and Mg powder

The effects of the heat treatment temperature ($600^{\circ}C-1050^{\circ}C$) on the formation of $MgB_2$ and the superconducting properties have been examined. The self-synthesized $MgB_4$ and commercial Mg powders were used as raw materials for the formation of $MgB_2$. The superconducting critical temperatures ($T_cs$) of $MgB_2$ bulk superconductors prepared at $600^{\circ}C-850^{\circ}C$ were as high as 37-38 K regardless of the heat treatment temperature. However, because $MgB_4$ is more stable than $MgB_2$ at above $850^{\circ}C$, no superconducting signals were detected in the susceptibility-temperature curves of the samples prepared above $850^{\circ}C$. As for the critical current density ($J_c$), the sample heat-treated at a low temperature ($600^{\circ}C$) for a prolonged period (40 h) showed a Jc higher than those prepared at $650^{\circ}C-850^{\circ}C$ for a short period (1 h). The FWHM (full width at half maximum) result showed that the grain size of $MgB_2$ of the $600^{\circ}C$ sample was smaller than that of the other samples. The high $J_c$ of the $600^{\circ}C$sample is attributed to the presence of large numbers of grain boundaries, which can act as flux pinning centers of $MgB_2$.