Effects of Calcination Temperature on Microstructure and Superconducting Properties of Y123 Ceramic Prepared Using Thermal Treatment Method

Thermal treatment method was employed to produce YBa2Cu3Ox superconductor ceramic. The effects of calcination temperature at 850 °C, set A, and 910 °C, set B, for 24 h followed by sintering at 930, 950 and 980 °C, were investigate using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and four point probe measurement. The orthorhombic structure appears after calcination at 850 and 910 °C beside small amount of impurity phase such as Y2BaCuO5 (Y211). The samples exhibited metallic behaviour and the critical temperature, TC(R=0), increases with increasing sintering temperature. The TC(R=0) of samples calcined at 910 °C is higher than that of sample calcined at 850 °C. The highest TC(R=0), 87 K, was found for sample sintered at 980 °C of set B. An increase in grain size and homogeneity was observed as the sintering temperature increases. The set B sample sintered at 980 °C showed compact grains, which could result in the highest Tc (R=0).