Mechanical properties of Gd123 bulk superconductors at room temperature

In order to investigate the mechanical properties of Gd123 single-grain bulk superconductors fabricated using a modified quench and melt growth method, tensile tests in the direction parallel and perpendicular to the c-axis have been carried out at 293 K by using the small specimens cut from bulk superconductors. As for the mechanical properties perpendicular to the c-axis, there was no significant difference between those in the crystal growth direction and those perpendicular to it. While the average value of the Young's modulus of the bulk sample with 33.0 mol%-Gd211 secondary phase particles, 118 GPa, was higher than that of the bulk sample with 28.7 mol%-Gd211, 111 GPa, the average value of the tensile strength of the former, 36 NlPa, was lower than that of the latter, 40 MPa. The tensile strength and the Young's modulus in the c-axis, 10 MPa and 37 GPa, were quite low compared with those mentioned above. Poisson's ratio based on the transverse strain in the c-axis, 0.15, was significantly smaller than that perpendicular to it, 0.30. In the specimens with higher length, however, the difference was decreased to some extent. With regard to the anisotropy of the Poisson's ratio, the effect of a pre-existing micro-crack opening in the c-axis direction was discussed coupled with the constraints at the interfaces between the specimen and the sample holder. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.