Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T16:53:35.028Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The anisotropic morphology of silver particles in Y-123/Y-24Nb1/Ag nanocomposite bulk high-temperature superconductors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

S.K. Pathak*
Affiliation:
Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 IPZ, United Kingdom
N.H. Babu
Affiliation:
Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification Technology (BCAST), Brunel University, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
A.R. Dennis
Affiliation:
Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 IPZ, United Kingdom
M. Strasik
Affiliation:
The Boeing Company, Seattle, Washington 98124-2207
D.A. Cardwell
Affiliation:
Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 IPZ, United Kingdom
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Y2Ba4CuNbO12 (Y-24Nb1) and silver (Ag) are recognized as potential candidates for improving both flux pinning and the mechanical properties of bulk rare earth (RE)–Ba–Cu–O [(RE)BCO] high-temperature superconductors (HTS). Recent attempts to add Ag2O to superconducting Y-123/Y2Ba4CuNbO12 composites, however, have produced a highly anisotropic morphology of Ag particles in samples grown by top-seeded melt growth (TSMG). This morphology has been attributed to strong particle pushing effects due to the presence of Y-24Nb1 nanoparticles in the composite microstructure. An investigation of the formation of anisotropic Ag particles in the YBCO bulk microstructure indicates that these pushing effects generate different morphological microstructural zones in the composite. These include a zone free of inclusions other than acicular Ag particles, a zone of segregated additives (i.e., Y-24Nb1, Y-211, and Ag), and a zone containing fine Ag and other particles distributed uniformly throughout the local microstructure. The particle pushing/trapping theory has been used to explain these extraordinary features of the distribution of Ag inclusions. The superconducting and mechanical properties of samples containing very fine silver inclusions are also discussed briefly.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1.Campbell, A.M., Cardwell, D.A.Bulk high temperature superconductors for magnet applications. Cryogenics 37, 567 (1997)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Diko, P., Fuchs, G., Krabbes, G.Influence of silver addition on cracking in melt-grown YBCO. Physica C 363, 60 (2001)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Daeumling, M., Sentijens, J.M., Larbalestier, D.C.Oxygen-defect flux pinning, anomalous magnetization and intra grain granularity in YBa2Cu3O7–δ. Nature 346, 332 (1990)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Yamaguchi, K., Murakami, M., Fujimoto, H., Gotoh, S., Oyama, T., Shiohara, Y., Koshizuka, N., Tanaka, S.Microstructures of the melt-powder–melt-growth processed YBa2Cu3O7. J. Mater. Res. 6, 1404 (1991)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5.Wang, Z.L., Goyal, A., Kroeger, D.M.Structural and chemical disorder near the Y2BaCuO5/YBa2Cu3O7–δ interface and its possible relation to the flux pinning in melt textured YBa2Cu3O7–δ. Phys. Rev. B 47, 5373 (1993)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Babu, N.H., Shi, Y.H., Iida, K., Cardwell, D.A., Haindl, S., Eisterer, M., Weber, H.W.Processing of large, single grain YBa2Cu3O7δ/Y2BaCuO5/Y2Ba4CuNbOy bulk composites. Physica C 426, 520 (2005)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.Carrillo, A.E., Puig, T., Plain, J., Figueras, J., Obradors, X.Y2BaCuO5-free melt textured YBa2Cu3O7: A search for the reference sample. Physica C 336, 213 (2000)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Pathak, S.K., Babu, N.H., Iida, K., Denis, T., Matthews, L., Strasik, M., Cardwell, D.A.The effect of Ag and Y-24W1 addition on the microstructure and superconducting properties of single grain Y–Ba–Cu–O. Mater. Sci. Eng., B 151, 40 (2008)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9.Wiesner, U., Krabbes, G., Uelzen, M., Magerkurth, C., Plewa, J., Altenburg, H.The influence of Ag on univariant reactions and the oxygen content of the eutectic melt in the Y–Ba–Cu–(Ag)–O system. Physica C 294, 17 (1998)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Mendoza, E., Puig, T., Varesi, E., Carrillo, A.E., Plain, J., Obradors, X.Critical current enhancement in YBCO–Ag melt-textured composites: Influence of micro crack density. Physica C 334, 7 (2000)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11.Maeda, J., Shiohara, Y.Microstructures and solidification behavior in Y–Ba–Cu–O/Ag superconducting leads. J. Mater. Res. 14, 2739 (1999)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Nakamura, Y., Tachibana, K., Fujimoto, H.Dispersion of silver in the melt grown YBa2Cu3O6+x crystal. Physica C 306, 259 (1998)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13.Furuya, K., Nakamura, Y., Izumi, T., Shiohara, Y.Advances in Superconductivity VI (Springer-Verlag, Tokyo, Japan 1993)795Google Scholar
14.Nakamura, Y., Tachibana, K., Kato, S., Ban, T., Yoo, S.I., Fujimoto, H.Phase relation in Y211-Y123-Ag system and morphology of silver in Y123 crystal. Physica C 294, 302 (1998)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15.Mironova, M., Lee, D.F., Salama, V.TEM and critical-current density studies of melt textured YBa2Cu3O7–x with silver and Y2BaCuO5 addition. Physica C 211, 188 (1993)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.Cardwell, D.A.Investigation of the controlled growth of large undoped and Pt-containing YBCO pseudo-crystals. Mater. Sci. Eng., B 53, 1 (1998)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17.Uhlmann, D.R., Chalmers, B., Jackson, K.A.Interaction between particles and solid liquid phase. J. Appl. Phys. 35, 2986 (1964)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18.Endo, A., Chauhan, H.S., Egi, T., Shiohara, Y.Macro segregation of Y2Ba1Cu1O5 particles in Y1Ba2Cu3O7–δ crystals grown by an under cooling method. J. Mater. Res. 11, 795 (1996)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19.Endo, A., Shiohara, Y.Preferred orientation of Y2BaCuO5 particles entrapped by melt-textured YBa2Cu3O7–δ crystals. Physica C 276, 25 (1997)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20.Cloots, R., Robertz, B., Auguste, F., Rulmont, A., Bougrine, H., Vandewalle, N., Ausloos, M.AC susceptibility data on Dy2O3 seeded randomly oriented Dy-123 mono domains melt-textured superconductor. Mater. Sci. Eng., B 53, 154 (1998)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21.Vandewalle, N., Ausloos, M., Cloots, R.Collective effects during crystal growth in the presence of mobile nonreactive impurities: Experiments and simulations. J. Cryst. Growth 197, 317 (1999)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22.Pathak, S.K., Yeoh, W.K., Babu, N.H., Shi, Y., Iida, K., Strasik, M., Cardwell, D.A.Fabrication of high performance Y-123/Y-24Nb1/Ag single grain composites. Physica C 469, 1173 (2009)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
23.Diko, P., Krabbes, G., Wende, C.Influence of Ag addition on crystallization and microstructure of melt-grown single-grain YBa2Cu3O7 bulk superconductors. Supercond. Sci. Technol. 14, 486 (2001)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24.Carrillo, A.E., Puig, T., Obradors, X.Pushing and trapping phenomena in YBa2Cu3O7 melt-textured composites with BaZrO3 and Ag additions. Supercond. Sci. Technol. 18, S77 (2005)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25.Nakamura, Y., Endo, A., Shiohara, Y.The relation between the under cooling and the growth rate of YBa2Cu3O6+x superconductive oxide. J. Mater. Res. 11, 1094 (1996)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26.Endo, A., Chauhan, H.S., Nakamura, Y., Shiohara, Y.Relationship between growth rate and under cooling in Pt-added Y1Ba2Cu3O7–x. J. Mater. Res. 11, 1114 (1996)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
27.Foerster, C.E., Lima, E., Rodrigues, J.P., Serbena, F.C., Lepienski, C.M., Cant, M.P., Jurelo, A.R., Obradors, X.Mechanical properties of Ag-doped top-seeded melt-grown YBCO pellets. Braz. J. Phys. 38, 341 (2008)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
28.Sakai, N., Seo, S.J., Inoue, K., Miyamoto, T., Murakami, M.Mechanical properties of RE–Ba–Cu–O bulk superconductors. Physica C 335, 107 (2000)CrossRefGoogle Scholar