Effects of BaCO3 purity on the superconducting properties of top seeded melt growth processed Y1+xBa2Cu3Oy superconductors

Effects of BaCO3 purity on the superconducting properties of top seeded melt growth processed Y1+xBa2Cu3Oy superconductors

Effects of BaCO3 purity on the superconducting properties of top seeded melt growth (TSMG) processed Y1+xBa2Cu3O7-y (Y1+x, x=0.1 and 0.2) superconductors were investigated. YBa2Cu3O7-y (Y123) powder prepared using BaCO3 with 99.75% purity and commercially available Y123 powder of 99.9% were used for the fabrication of single Y123 grain superconductors. Tc values of the Y1+x samples prepared using low purity Y123 powder were slightly lower than those of the samples prepared using a high purity powder. In addition to the lower Tc, an anomalous peak effect in the intermediate magnetic fields was observed in Y1+x samples prepared using the low purity BaCO3 powder. The slight decrease in Tc and the anomalous peak effect are ascribed to the possible incorporation of a Y123 phase with impurity elements such as strontium and calcium included in the BaCO3 powder of 99.7%. The result suggests that the low purity BaCO3 powder of a low price can be used as a raw power for the fabrication of single grain YBCO bulk superconductors.

Effects of BaCO3 purity on the superconducting properties of top seeded melt growth (TSMG) processed Y1+xBa2Cu3O7-y (Y1+x, x=0.1 and 0.2) superconductors were investigated. YBa2Cu3O7-y (Y123) powder prepared using BaCO3 with 99.75% purity and commercially available Y123 powder of 99.9% were used for the fabrication of single Y123 grain superconductors. Tc values of the Y1+x samples prepared using low purity Y123 powder were slightly lower than those of the samples prepared using a high purity powder. In addition to the lower Tc, an anomalous peak effect in the intermediate magnetic fields was observed in Y1+x samples prepared using the low purity BaCO3 powder. The slight decrease in Tc and the anomalous peak effect are ascribed to the possible incorporation of a Y123 phase with impurity elements such as strontium and calcium included in the BaCO3 powder of 99.7%. The result suggests that the low purity BaCO3 powder of a low price can be used as a raw power for the fabrication of single grain YBCO bulk superconductors.