• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.9-13
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• 2017

This study presents a simple method to control the seed orientation which leads to the various growth characteristics of a single grain REBCO (RE: rare-earth elements) bulk superconductors. Seed orientation was varied systematically from c-axis to a-axis with every 30 degree rotation around b-axis. Orientations of a REBCO single grain was successfully controlled by placing the seed with various angles on the prismatic indent prepared on the surface of REBCO powder compacts. Growth pattern was changed from cubic to rectangular when the seed orientation normal to compact surface was varied from c-axis to a-axis. Macroscopic shape change has been explained by the variation of the wetting angle of un-reacted melt depending on the interface energy between $YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-y}$ (Y123) grain and melt. Higher magnetic levitation force was obtained for the specimen prepared using tilted seed with an angle of 30 degree rotation around b-axis.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.33-39
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• 2017

This study presents that the orientation and the geometry of seed affect on the growth behavior of melt processed single grain REBCO bulk superconductor and its magnetic properties. The effects of seed geometry have been investigated for thin $30mm{\times}30mm$ rectangular powder compacts. Single grain REBCO bulk superconductors have been grown successfully by a top seed melt growth method for 8-mm thick vertical thin REBCO slab. Asymmetric structures have been developed at the front surface and at the rear surface of the specimen. Higher magnetic properties have been obtained for the specimen that c-axis is normal to the specimen surface. The relationships between microstructure, grain growth and magnetic properties have been discussed.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.14-18
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• 2017

This study presents three dimensional (3-D) seeding technique which is a modification of interior seeding. 3-D seeding is beneficial for shortening the processing period and enhancing the magnetic properties of REBCO bulk superconductors fabricated by melt growth. Oxygen channels were provided by using divided powder compacts instead of by using a rubber insert. Microstructure observations revealed that the grains grown from the seeds impinged each other and formed low angle grain boundaries of (001)/(001). It has been shown that the 3-D seeding technique reduces the volume fraction of a-c growth sector and thereby maximizes the area of a-b growth sector which attribute to the high magnetic characteristics of single grain REBCO bulk superconductors.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.5-10
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• 2018

This study presents that various grain boundary junctions are prepared by controlling the seed orientation combined with an artificial hole in a melt process REBCO bulk superconductor. Large grain YBCO superconductors have been fabricated with various grain boundary junctions that the angle between the grain boundary and the <001> axis of Y123 crystal is $0^{\circ}$, $30^{\circ}$ and $45^{\circ}$, respectively. The presence of the artificial hole is beneficial for the formation of clean grain boundary junction and single peak trapped magnetic field profiles have been obtained. Artificial hole makes two growth fronts meet at a point on a periphery of the artificial hole. The presence of artificial hole is not likely to affect on the distribution of Y211 particles. The newly formed <110> facet lines are explained by the formation of new Y123/liquid interface with (010) crystallographic plane.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2020

This is a parameter study for the direct fabrication of a large grain YBCO bulk superconductors using Y₂O₃, BaCO₃ and CuO powders without any grinding step. The cracks, which have been formed due to volume contraction during calcination step, have been prevented by controlling the heating rate at 930~950 ℃. It has been observed that multi-grain growth has occurred due to the dissolution of Sm123 seed due to the retention of carbon in Ba-Cu-O melt. In order to accelerate the carbon release in prior calcination heat treatment, the reduction of pellet thickness and the drilling of artificial holes have been applied. Single-grain YBCO bulk superconductor has been successfully fabricated by stacking multiple thin slab. However, the crack formation has been rather prominent for the compact with artificial holes. The use of buffer pellet, which is supposed to act as diffusion barrier, has prevented the dissolution of Sm123 seed crystal and has led to the growth of single grain of high content of carbon containing specimen.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.133-138
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• 2011

To reduce the processing cost of the single grain REBCO (RE: Rare-earth elements) bulk superconductors, a cost-effective process should be developed. One possible way of developing the cost-effective process is the use of low-cost precursor powders. In this study, the single grain YBCO superconductors were fabricated using a home made powder. $YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-y}$ (Y123) powders were synthesized at $850-900^{\circ}C$ in air by the powder calcination method with repeated crushing and heat treatment steps. The processing parameters for the fabrication of single grain Y123 bulk superconductors, $T_{max}$ (maximum temperature), $T_p$ (peritectic temperature) and a cooling rate through $T_p$ were optimized. To enhance the flux pinning capacity of the single grain Y123 samples, $Y_2BaCuO_5$ (Y211) particles were dispersed in the Y123 matrix by adding $Y_2O_3$ powder to the calcined Y123 powder. Applying the optimized processing condition, the single grain Y123 superconductors with $T_c=91\;K$ and $J_c=1.5{\times}10^4\;A/cm^2$ at 2 T were successfully fabricated using a home made powder. The levitation forces and trapped magnetic field at 77 K measured using a Nd-B-Fe permanent magnet of 5300 G were 47 N and 3000 G, respectively, which are comparable to those obtained for the samples fabricated using a commercial grade Y123 powders.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.27-31
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• 2019

Large grain YBCO bulk superconductors are fabricated by the top-seeded melt growth (TSMG) or top-seeded infiltration growth (TSIG) method. Both growth methods use at least one of $YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-{\delta}}$, $Y_2BaCuO_5$, $BaCuO_3$ pre-reacted precursor powders. However, the synthesis of the pre-reacted powders includes multiple calcination runs which are cost-bearing and time-consuming. In this work, we report the successful growth of single-domain YBCO bulk superconductors directly by using the powder compact that has been pressed from the mixture of $Y_2O_3$, $BaCuO_3$ and CuO powders without any intermediate grinding step. Single-domain YBCO bulk superconductor has been also prepared by using $Y_2O_3$, $BaO_2$ and CuO powders without intermediate grinding step. Investigations on the trapped magnetic field and microstructure of the melt-processed specimen show that the elimination of the repeated processes of calcinations and pulverization has hardly affected on the crystal growth and the magnetic properties of the grown YBCO bulk superconductors. However, it is thought that the presence of residual carbon affects on the size of Y211 particles in melt-processed YBCO bulk superconductor.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.19-23
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• 2019

A large grain YBCO bulk superconductor is fabricated by the top-seeded melt growth (TSMG) method. In the TSMG process, the seed crystal is placed on the top surface of a partially melted compact and therefore the seed crystal is frequently tilted during the melt process due to intrinsic unstable nature of Y211 particle +liquid phase mixture. In this work, we report the successful growth of single-domain YBCO bulk superconductors by a bottom-seeded melt growth (BSMG) method. Investigations on the trapped magnetic field and the microstructures of the synthesized specimens show that a bottom-seeded melt growth method has hardly affected on the crystal growth behavior, the microstructure development and the magnetic properties of the large grain YBCO bulk superconductors. The bottom-seeded melt growth method is clearly beneficial for the stable control of seed orientation through the melt process for the fabrication of a large grain YBCO bulk superconductor.