Preparation of Fine Particles of Superconducting Oxides by Aerosol Reactor

Abstract

A new process for preparing particles of superconducting oxides is developed by using the aerosol flow reactor in which aqueous solutions of corresponding metal nitrates or acetates are atomized and their droplets are evaporated and thermally decomposed. For Y-Ba-Cu-O system, the particles having orthorhombic YBa₂ Cu₃ O_7-x phase can be formed directly at the decomposition temperatures from 900°C to 1000°C. The particles obtained are spherical and their size can be changed by changing the concentration of the aqueous solutions. The bodies sintered from these particles show the off-set temperature of superconducting transition at 84K. For the Bi-Ca-Sr-Cu-O system, the produced particles of the BiC-a SrCu₂O_x composition differ from either 80K or 110K phase, whereas the sintered bodies show the X-ray diffraction of the 80K phase with the on-set temperatures of superconducting transition at 87K and 110K.