Melt-spin processing of high Tc oxide superconductors

Containerless techniques offer distinct advantages for the melt processing of oxide superconductors. The majority of these materials form liquids which are highly reactive with standard crucible materials such as Al2O3 and Pt, resulting in non-negligible contamination. The authors have developed a containerless melt-spin processing technique wherein 50--400 μm particles of REBa2Cu3O7-x high temperature oxide superconductors are melted in free fall through a vertical tube furnace and quenched onto a copper wheel. Previously this method has been successful in producing glasses of NdBa2Cu3O7-x and GdBa2Cu3O7-x. In this report they discuss the results for both stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric Y123. Thermal, microstructural, and superconducting characterization of both the as-quenched and the annealed materials are presented