• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.27-32
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• 2017

The effects of artificial holes on the trapped magnetic fields and magnetic levitation forces of very large single-grain $Y_{1.5}Ba_2Cu_3O_{7-y}$ (Y1.5) bulk superconductors were studied. Artificial holes were made for Y1.5 powder compacts by die pressing using cylindrical dies with a diameter of 30 mm or 40 m, or rectangular dies with a side length of 50 mm. The single grain Y1.5 bulk superconductors (25 mm, 33 mm in diameter and 42 mm in side length) with artificial holes were fabricated using a top-seeded melt growth (TSMG) process for the die-pressed Y1.5 powder compacts. The magnetic levitation forces at 77 K of the 25 mm single grain Y1.5 samples with one (diameters of 4.2 mm) or six artificial holes (diameters of 2.5 mm) were 10-17% higher than that of the Y1.5 sample without artificial holes. The trapped magnetic fields at 77 K of the Y1.5 samples with artificial holes were also 9.6-18% higher than that of the Y1.5 sample without artificial holes. The 33 mm and 42 mm single grain Y1.5 samples with artificial holes (2.5 mm and 4.2 mm in diameter) also showed trapped magnetic fields 10-13% higher than that of the Y1.5 samples without artificial holes in spite of the reduced superconducting volume fraction due to the presence of artificial holes. The property enhancement in the large single grain Y1.5 bulk superconductors appears to be attributed to the formation of the pore-free regions near the artificial holes and the homogeneous oxygen distribution in the large Y123 grains.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.39-44
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• 2012

The fabrications condition and superconducting properties of top-seeded melt growth (TSMG) processed $GdBa_2Cu_3O_{7-y}$ (Gd123) bulk superconductors were studied. Processing parameters (a maximum temperature ($T_{max}$), a temperature for crystal growth ($T_G$) and a cooling rate ($R_G$) through a peritectic temperature ($T_P$) for the fabrication of single grain Gd123 superconductors were optimized. The magnetic levitation forces, trapped magnetic fields, superconducting transition temperature ($T_c$) and critical current density ($J_c$) of the Gd123 bulks superconductors were estimated. Single grain Gd123 bulk superconductors were successfully fabricated at the optimized processing condition. The $T_c$ of a TSMG processed Gd123 sample was 92.5 K and the $J_c$ at 77 K and 0 T was approximately $50kA/cm^2$. The trapped magnetic field contour and magnetic levitation forces were dependent on the top surface morphology of TSMG processed Gd123 samples. The single grain Gd123 samples, field-cooled at 77 K using a Nd-B-Fe permanent magnet with 5.27 kG and 30 mm dia., showed the trapped magnetic field contour of a single grain with a maximum of 4 kG at the sample center. The maximum magnetic levitation forces of the single grain Gd123 sample, field-cooled or zero field-cooled, were 40 N and 107 N, respectively.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.6-11
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• 2010

The milling effects of a precursor $Y_2BaCuO_5$ (Y211) powder having 1 wt.% $CeO_2$ on the microstructure and critical current density ($J_c$) of liquid infiltration growth (LIG) processed $YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-y}$ (Y-123) bulk superconductors were investigated. The microstructure analysis revealed that the Y211 size in the final Y-123 products decreased with increasing the milling time and a relatively high density and uniform distribution of Y211 inclusions were observed in the sample prepared using 8 h milled powder. However, the unexpected Y211 particles coarsening was observed from the 4 h milled sample which was further increased for 10 h milled sample. Critical current density ($J_c$) of the LIG processed Y-123 bulk superconductors was found to be dependent on the milling time of the Y211 precursor powder. The $J_c$ increased with the increase of milling time and reached up to a maximum at 8 h in the self field while 10 h milled sample showed lower $J_c$ at the same field which might be due to the exaggerated growth and non-uniform distribution of Y211 particles.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.569-574
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• 2012

Large single grain $Gd_{1.5}Ba_2Cu_3O_{7-y}$ (Gd1.5) bulk superconductors were fabricated by a top-seeded melt growth (TSMG) process using an $NdBa_2Cu_3O_{7-y}$ seed. The seeded Gd1.5 powder compacts with a diameter of 50 mm were subjected to the heating cycles of a TSMG process. After the TSMG process, the diameter of the single grain Gd1.5 compact was reduced to 43 mm owing to the volume contraction during the heat treatment. The superconducting transition temperature ($T_c$) of the top surface of the single grain Gd1.5 sample was as high as 93.5 K. The critical current densities ($J_cs$) at 77 K and 1T and 1.5 T were in ranges of 25,200-43,900 $A/cm^2$ and 10,000-23,000 $A/cm^2$, respectively. The maximum attractive force at 77 K of the sample field-cooled using an Nd-B-Fe permanent magnet (surface magnetic field of 0. 527 T) was 108.3 N; the maximum repulsive force of the zero field-cooled sample was 262 N. The magnetic flux density of the sample field-cooled at 77 K was 0.311T, which is approximately 85% of the applied magnetic field of 0.375 T. Microstructure investigation showed that many $Gd_2BaCuO_5$ (Gd211) particles of a few ${\mu}m$ in size, which are flux pinning sites of Gd123, were trapped within the $GdBa_2Cu_3O_{7-y}$ (Gd123) grain; unreacted $Ba_3Cu_5O_8$ liquid and Gd211 particles were present near the edge regions of the single grain Gd1.5 bulk compact.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.309-315
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• 2013

$GdBa_2Cu_3O_{7-y}$(Gd123) powders were synthesized by the solid-state reaction method using $Gd_2O_3$ (99.9% purity), $BaCO_3$ (99.75%) and CuO (99.9%) powders. The synthesized Gd123 powder and the Gd123 powder with $Gd_2O_3$ addition ($Gd_{1.5}Ba_2Cu_3O_{7-y}$(Gd1.5)) were used as raw powders for the fabrication of Gd123 bulk superconductors. The Gd123 and Gd1.5 bulk superconductors were fabricated by sintering or a top-seeded melt growth (TSMG) process. The superconducting transition temperature ($T_{c,onset}$) of the sintered Gd123 was 93 K and the transition width was as large as 20 K. The $T_{c,onset}$ of the TSMG processed Gd123 was 82 K and the transition width was also as large as 12 K. The critical current density ($J_c$) at 77 K and 0 T of the sintered Gd123 and TSMG processed Gd123 were as low as a few hundreds A/$cm^2$. The addition of 0.25 mole $Gd_2O_3$ and 1 wt.% $CeO_2$ to Gd123 enhanced the $T_c$, $J_c$ and magnetic flux density (H) of the TSMG processed Gd123 sample owing to the formation of the superconducting phase with high flux pinning capability. The $T_c$ of the TSMG processed Gd1.5 was 92 K and the transition width was 1 K. The $J_cs$ at 77 K (0 T and 2 T) were $3.2{\times}10^4\;A/cm^2$ and $2.5{\times}10^4\;A/cm^2$, respectively. The H at 77 K of the TSMG-processed Gd1.5 was 1.96 kG, which is 54% of the applied magnetic field (3.45 kG).

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.142-147
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• 2013

$YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-y}$ (Y123) powders for the fabrication of bulk superconductors were synthesized by the powder reaction method using $Y_2O_3$ (99.9% purity), $BaCO_3$ (99.75%) and CuO (99.9%) powders. The raw powders were weighed to the cation ratio of Y:Ba:Cu=1:2:3, mixed and calcined at $880^{\circ}C-930^{\circ}C$ in air with intermediate repeated crushing steps. It was found that the formation of Y123 powder was more sensitive to reaction temperature than reaction time. The calcined Y123 powder and a mixture of (Y123 + 0.25 mole $Y_2O_3$ + 1 wt.% $CeO_2$, $Y_{1.5}Ba_2Cu_3O_x$ (Y1.5)) were used as raw powders for the fabrication of poly-grain or single grain superconductors. The superconducting transition temperature ($T_{c,onset}$) of the sintered Y123 sample was 91 K and the transition width was as large as 11 K, whereas the $T_{c,onset}$ of the melt-grown Y1.5 sample was 90.5 K and the transition width was 3.5 K. The critical current density ($J_c$) at 77 K and 0 T of the sintered Y123 was 700 $A/cm^2$, whereas the $J_c$ of the top-seeded melt growth (TSMG) processed Y1.5 sample was $3.2{\times}10^4\;A/cm^2$. The magnetic flux density (H) at 77 K of the TSMG-processed Y123 and Y1.5 sample showed the 0.53 kG and 2.45 kG, respectively, which are 15% and 71% of the applied magnetic field of 3.5 kG. The high H value of the TSMG-processed Y1.5 sample is attributed to the formation of the larger superconducting grain with fine Y211 dispersion.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.83-87
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• 2003

$(Nd/Y)_{1.8}Ba_{}2.4Cu_{3.4}O_{7-x}$high $T_c$ superconductor was directionally grown by floating Bone melt growth process with a large temperature gradient in air. Cylindrical green rods of (Nd/Y)1.8 oxides were fabricated by cold isostatic pressing (CIP) method using rubber mold. Microstructures were observed by SEM and TEM and superconducting properties were measured by a SQUID magnetometer. Nonsuperconducting $(Nd/Y)_2BaCuO_5$ inclusions were uniformly distributed within the superconducting $(Nd/Y)Ba_2Cu_3O_x$ matrix. The directionally melt-textured (Nd/Y) 1.8 superconductor showed an onset Tc $\geq$ 90 K and a sharp superconducting transition.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.42-46
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• 2009

With an aim of comparison, single grain Y-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO) bulk superconductors were fabricated using a liquid infiltration growth (LIG) process and a conventional melt growth (MTG) process with top seeding. The MTG process uses an $YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-x}$(Y123) powder as a precursor, while the LIG process uses $Y_2BaCuO_5(Y211)/Ba_3Cu_5O_8(Y035)$ pre-forms. The growth of a single Y123 domain on the top seed was successful in the both processes. Different feature between the two processes is the interior microstructure regarding the critical current density ($J_c$). The LIG-processed YBCO sample showed a lower porosity, more uniform distribution of Y211 particles and the enhanced Y211 refinement compared to the conventional MTG process. The $J_c$ improvement in the LIG process is attributed to the dispersion of finer Y211 particles as well as lower porosity within the Y123 superconducting matrix.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.1-5
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• 2003

The effect of CeO$_2$ coating on the surface nucleation of the top-seeded melt-growth processed YBCO superconductors was studied. It was effective that the coating of Y123 compact surfaces by CeO$_2$ powder suppressed the undesirable subsidiary YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-y}$ (Y123) nucleation during melt processing. BaCeO$_3$ was formed in the CeO$_2$-coated layers, which might cause a CuO-excessive liquid at the partial melt stage of $Y_2$BaCuO$_{5}$(Y211) plus liquid, and thus the Y123 nucleation at the YBCO compact surfaces could be suppressed during the melt growth of Y123 grain. In addition, the CeO$_2$ refined the Y211 particles near the compact / coating interface. While the levitation forces of the top surfaces with and without CeO$_2$ coating were similar to each other, the levitation force of the interior of the CeO$_2$ coated sample was higher than that of the interior of the sample without CeO$_2$ coating, which was attributed to the suppression of subsidiary Y123 nucleation at the compact walls.s.s.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.133-138
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• 2011

To reduce the processing cost of the single grain REBCO (RE: Rare-earth elements) bulk superconductors, a cost-effective process should be developed. One possible way of developing the cost-effective process is the use of low-cost precursor powders. In this study, the single grain YBCO superconductors were fabricated using a home made powder. $YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-y}$ (Y123) powders were synthesized at $850-900^{\circ}C$ in air by the powder calcination method with repeated crushing and heat treatment steps. The processing parameters for the fabrication of single grain Y123 bulk superconductors, $T_{max}$ (maximum temperature), $T_p$ (peritectic temperature) and a cooling rate through $T_p$ were optimized. To enhance the flux pinning capacity of the single grain Y123 samples, $Y_2BaCuO_5$ (Y211) particles were dispersed in the Y123 matrix by adding $Y_2O_3$ powder to the calcined Y123 powder. Applying the optimized processing condition, the single grain Y123 superconductors with $T_c=91\;K$ and $J_c=1.5{\times}10^4\;A/cm^2$ at 2 T were successfully fabricated using a home made powder. The levitation forces and trapped magnetic field at 77 K measured using a Nd-B-Fe permanent magnet of 5300 G were 47 N and 3000 G, respectively, which are comparable to those obtained for the samples fabricated using a commercial grade Y123 powders.