Mechanical properties of bulk superconductors with resin impregnation

We have studied the mechanical properties of Y-Ba-Cu-O rods with and without resin impregnation using a three-point bending test. The specimens were cut from various locations with different orientations in a massive melt-grown block. There were slight differences in the flexural strengths in the Y-Ba-Cu-O rods depending on the location and the load direction. We have confirmed that the strengths of bulk YBCO can be enhanced by more than two times using resin impregnation. In addition, the enhancement of the mechanical strength at lower temperatures is greater in resin-impregnated samples, presumably due to a strong temperature dependence of the strength of the epoxy resin itself, which is also beneficial for practical applications of bulk samples with resin impregnation.