Quick Fabrication of Highly Oriented Bi-2223 Superconducting Ceramics Using Plate-Like Seed Crystals

Abstract

We have successfully prepared plate-like fine powder of 2223 phase superconducting oxide with preferential 002 faces by grinding in dehydrated pure ethanol. In the present study, we attempted a quick fabrication of highly oriented (Bi,Pb)₂Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O_x superconductor using the plate-like seed crystals. It was found that the addition of the seed crystals to commercial precursor (Dowa kogyo Co. Ltd.) brought about a considerable reduction in fabrication time. Almost all single phase (2223) sintered superconducting oxide was obtained by heating of the precursor mixed with 30 wt% seed crystals for 4 hr at 870 C. Furthermore, the grains of the sintered disk were highly oriented.