Investigation the Properties of Y-Ba-Cu-Oxide Superconductors Prepared by Hydraulic Pressing and Molding

Abstract

Levitation applications of superconductors require the fabrication of bulk ceramic superconductors with special shapes. The conventional hydraulic pressing is not suitable for the production of superconductors with complicated forms, so we have applied slip casting to shape bulk superconductors. Superconducting powders with different YBa2Cu3Oy (123) and Y2BaCuO5 (211) phase content and different (Pt, Pb, Ce) additives were prepared by solid-state reactions. The nonsuperconducting (211) particles can be considered as flux pinning centres; thus the magnetic properties can be influenced by their amount and particle sizes. The addition of a few weight percent of dopant in the nominal composition can modify the particle size and distribution of the (211) grains. We have investigated and compared the phase compositions, morphologies and magnetic levitation forces of bulk superconductors formed by hydraulic pressing and moulding. The shielding abilities of a moulded superconductor were simulated with the COMSOL Multiphysics 4.4 software.