Characterizations of shock-compacted Nd-system superconductor particles

Shock compaction for Nd-system superconductor particles have been investigated by shock compaction technique. After the shock compaction characterizations of as-shocked and annealed Nd-system superconductor particles are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD)-analysis for the measurements of lattice parameters and SQUID magnetometer-measurements for the susceptibility. SEM(scanning electron microscopy)-observations of as-shocked and annealed Nd-system superconductor particles are carried out for the grain growth with growth steps. As a result, the as-shocked specimen showed an oriented crystal structure with the lattice constants of the orthorhombic cell with a=0.5787 nm, b=0.5874 nm and c=1.17462 nm for as-shocked Nd-Ba-Cu-O calculated by XRD just after the shock compaction under 5.7 GPa. From SEM-observations, the surface of the specimens for as-shocked Nd-system superconductor has large grains of 4-10 /spl mu/m in length partly with large growth-steps caused mainly by heats generated in shock compaction.