Effects of lead content and particle size of precursor powders on formation rate, grain growth and critical current density of BSCCO 2223 tapes

The influence of Pb content and particle size of precursor powders on the formation rate and grain growth of BSCCO 2223 has been studied to improve critical current density (J/sub c/). Our experimental results indicate that these variables have great influence on the partial melting temperature of the system, and it will affect the amounts of liquid phase and formation rate of BSCCO 2223 phase. Optimization of these variables will lead to enhanced critical current densities. The J/sub c/ in the fully reacted tapes with different Pb content and particle size of precursor powders varied from 24 kA/cm/sup 2/ to 52 kA/cm/sup 2/ at 77 K and 0 T. It suggests that a great improvement of J/sub c/ in certain tapes is characterized from the large textured BSCCO 2223 grains and fewer tracks of second phases in microstructure.