COMBUSTION SYNTHESIS OF THE YBA2CU3O7-X SUPERCONDUCTOR

Synthesis of the YBa2Cu3O7-x (Y123) superconductor was achieved using two different modes of combustion synthesis, viz. self-propagating high-temperature synthesis and thermal explosion. The effects of several processing variables, including the green density, the oxygen pressure, and the Cu and BaO2 particle sizes, on the formation of Y123 were investigated. The use of Cu particles in relatively narrow size fractions, ranging from < 10-mu-m to 44-mu-m, along with quenching of the reaction during its progress, provided insight into the mechanism of the synthesis process.