• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.19-22
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• 2014

The effects of Mg content on the pore formation, density and critical properties were investigated in in-situ reacted $MgB_2$ superconductors. The $Mg_{1+x}B_2$, (x=-0.2, 0.0, 0.05, 0.3, 1.0) bulk samples with different Mg contents were heat-treated at $900^{\circ}C$ for 1 h in an Ar atmosphere. The dimensional changes of a pellet's mass and volume after heat-treatment were measured. After heat-treatment process, the sample mass was decreased by Mg evaporation, but the sample volume was expanded by pore formation at the Mg site; therefore, the apparent density was decreased. Spherical pores the same as Mg particles were developed after heat-treatment in all samples, and the pore density was increased with increasing Mg content. As the x of Mg content was increased to 1.0, the apparent density of $Mg_{1+x}B_2$ samples was decreased due to a relatively larger reduction in a mass change. The critical current density of Mg excessive sample of x=0.05 showed the highest values over the applied magnetic fields because the excessive Mg may compensate Mg loss and enhance grain connectivity.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.36-41
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• 2014

Temperature dependence of magnetic moment (m-T) and the magnetization (M-H) at 5 K and 20 K of the in situ processed $MgB_2$ bulk pellets with/without carbon (C) doping were examined. The superconducting critical temperature ($T_c$), the superconducting transition width (${\delta}T$) and the critical current density ($J_c$) were estimated for ten test samples taken from the $MgB_2$ bulk pellets. The reliable m-T characteristics associated with the uniform $MgB_2$ formation were obtained for both $MgB_2$ pellets. The $T_cs$ and ${\delta}Ts$ of all test samples of the undoped $MgB_2$ were the same each other as 37.5 K and 1.5 K, respectively. The $T_cs$ and ${\delta}Ts$ of the C-doped $MgB_2$ were 36.5 K and 2.5 K, respectively. Unlike the m-T characteristics, there existed the difference among the M-H curves of the test samples, which might be caused by the microstructure variation. In spite of the slight $T_c$ decrease, the C doping was effective in enhancing the $J_c$ at 5 K.

• 한국초전도학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.07a
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• pp.93-93
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• 2009

• 한국초전도학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.07a
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• pp.104-104
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• 2009

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.9-13
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• 2014

Effects of neutron irradiation on the superconducting properties of the undoped $MgB_2$ and the carbon(C)-doped $MgB_2$ bulk superconductors, prepared by an in situ reaction process using Mg and B powder, were investigated. The prepared $MgB_2$ samples were neutron-irradiated at the neutron fluence of $10^{16}-10^{18}n/cm^2$ in a Hanaro nuclear reactor of KAERI involving both fast and thermal neutron. The magnetic moment-temperature (M-T) and magnetization-magnetic field (M-H) curves before/after irradiation were obtained using magnetic property measurement system (MPMS). The superconducting critical temperature ($T_c$) and transition width were estimated from the M-T curves and critical current density ($J_c$) was estimated from the M-H curves using a Bean's critical model. The $T_cs$ of the undoped $MgB_2$ and C-doped $MgB_2$ before irradiation were 36.9-37.0 K and 36.6-36.8 K, respectively. The $T_cs$ decreased to 33.2 K and 31.6 K, respectively after irradiation at neutron fluence of $7.16{\times}10^{17}n/cm^2$, and decreased to 22.6 K and 24.0 K, respectively, at $3.13{\times}10^{18}n/cm^2$. The $J_c$ cross-over was observed at the high magnetic field of 5.2 T for the undoped $MgB_2$ irradiated at $7.16{\times}10^{17}n/cm^2$. The $T_c$ and $J_c$ variation after the neutron irradiation at various neutron fluences were explained in terms of the defect formation in the superconducting matrix by neutron irradiation.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.40-44
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• 2019

In this study, the effects of the compaction method for (Mg+2B) powders on the apparent density and superconducting properties of $MgB_2$ bulk superconductor were investigated. The raw powders used in this study were nano-sized boron (B) and spherical magnesium (Mg). A batch of a powder mixture of (Mg+2B) was put in a steel mold and uniaxially pressed at 1 ton or 3 tons into pellets. Another batch of the powder mixture was uniaxially pressed at 1 ton and then pressed isostatically at $1800kg/cm^2$ in the water chamber. All pellets were heat-treated at $650^{\circ}C$ for 1 h in flowing argon gas for the formation of $MgB_2$. The apparent density of powder compacts pressed at 3 ton was higher than that at 1 ton. The cold isostatic pressing (CIP) in a water chamber allowed further increase of the apparent density of powder compacts, which influenced the pellet density of the final products ($MgB_2$). The compaction methods (uniaxial pressing and CIP) did not affect the formation of $MgB_2$ and superconducting critical temperature ($T_c$) of $MgB_2$, but affected the critical current density ($J_c$) of $MgB_2$ significantly. The sample with the high apparent density showed high $J_c$ at 5 K and 20 K at applied magnetic fields (0-5 T).

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.40-44
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• 2008

A combined process of a mechanical ball milling and liquid glycerin ($C_{3}H_{8}O_3$) treatment of boron (B) powder has been conducted to enhance the superconducting properties of $MgB_2$. The individual aims of the mechanical milling and the glycerin treatment were to reduce the grain size of the $MgB_2$ and to achieve homogeneous carbon (C) incorporation into the $MgB_2$, respectively. Four kinds of B powders of as-received, glycerin treated, 2 h milled, and 2 h milled + glycerin treated were prepared. $MgB_2$ bulks were fabricated by in situ process using the prepared B powders. The mechanical ball milling was effective for a grain refinement, and a lattice disorder was easily achieved by glycerin addition. It was found that the critical current density ($J_c$) values were enhanced in the samples with milled B or glycerin treated B only. In the $MgB_2$ bulk prepared with both milled and glycerin treated B, the $J_c$ was further increased due to a higher grain boundary density and a greater C substitution.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.87-91
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• 2010

We fabricated the polyacrylic acid (PAA)-doped $MgB_2$ bulks and characterized their lattice parameters, actual C substitutions, microstructures, and critical properties. The boron (B) powder was mixed with PAA using N,N-dimethylformamide as solvent and then the solution was dried out at $200^{\circ}C$ and crushed. The C treated B powder and magnesium powder were mixed and compacted by uniaxial pressing at 500 MPa, followed by sintering at $900^{\circ}C$ for 1 h in high purity Ar atmosphere. We observed that the PAA doping increased the MgO amount but decreased the grain size, a-axis lattice constant, and critical temperature ($T_c$), which is indicative of the C substitution for B sites in $MgB_2$. In addition, the critical current density ($J_c$) at high magnetic field was significantly improved with increasing PAA addition: at 5 K and 6.6 T, the $J_c$ of 7 wt% PAA-doped sample was $6.39\;{\times}\;10^3\;A/cm^2$ which was approximately 6-fold higher than that of the pure sample ($1.04\;{\times}\;10^3\;A/cm^2$). This improvement was probably due to the C substitution and the refinement of grain size by PAA doping, suggesting that PAA is an effective dopant in improving $J_c$(B) performance of $MgB_2$.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.80-84
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• 2007

Charcoal was used as a carbon source for improving the critical current density of $MgB_2$ and the effect of annealing temperature on the $J_c$ of $MgB_2$ was investigated. The charcoal powder used in this study was $1{\sim}2$ microns in size and was prepared by wet attrition milling. $MgB_2$ bulk samples with a nominal composition of $Mg(B_{0.95}C_{0.05})_2$ were prepared by in situ process of Mg and B powders. The powder mixture was uniaxially compacted into pellets and heat treated at temperatures of $650^{\circ}C\;-\;1000^{\circ}C$ for 30 minutes in flowing Ar gas. It was found that superconducting transition temperature of $Mg(B_{0.95}C_{0.05})_2$ decreased by charcoal additions which indicates the carbon substitution for boron site. $J_c$ of $Mg(B_{0.95}C_{0.05})_2$ was lower than that of the undoped $MgB_2$ at the magnetic fields smaller than 4 Tesla, while it was higher than that of the undoped sample especially at the magnetic field higher than 4 T. High temperature annealing seems to be effective in increasing $J_c$ due to the enhanced carbon diffusion into boron sites.