Elaboration and performances of bulk textured superconducting YBa2Cu3O7 materials of increasing size

Industrial applications of the bulk superconducting YBa2Cu3O7 material imply to control the growth of large oriented monodomains in samples of big size (several centimeters). The laboratory EPM-Matformag is committed to produce such materials according to three different methods (zone melting, solidification controlled by a magnetic field, crystal growth from a seed). The results obtained show that it is possible by such methods to elaborate a material with high performances at the centimeter scale and to produce it in series. The availability of such materials allows the measure of physical properties on a large scale and the testing of prototypes for cryo-electrotechnical applications (magnetic bearing, flywheel, coupling device, current lead...).