Microstructures and DC critical currents in textured Y-Ba-Cu-oxides

Sintered bars of Y-Ba-Cu oxide were partially melted using a quartz halogen lamp zone heating apparatus. The resulting multiphase samples showed varying degrees of melt texturing. It was found that the addition of YBa/sub 2/CuO/sub 5/ powders to the sintered YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7/ prior to the zone melting process enhanced the growth of large textured grains. The best value of the critical current density was approximately 10/sup 3/ A/cm/sup 2/ at 1.0 T and 77 K for the starting composition of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7/-