Enhanced superconducting properties in Bi/sub 2/Sr/sub 2/Ca/sub 1/Cu/sub 2/O/sub y/ by thermal and mechanical processing

The effect of processing on transition temperature, grain boundary coupling, and flux pinning has been examined for Bi/sub 2/Sr/sub 2/Ca/sub 1/Cu/sub 2/O/sub y/. Enhancement of critical temperature based on composition can be achieved by control of crystallization and subsequent annealing processes while thermomechanical processing may be used to modify weak link and flux pinning behavior. The microstructural basis for these changes is related to the composition of the superconducting phase and the presence of defects associated with deformation processing. The implications of these results for conductor development are related to the selection of alloy composition for optimum transition temperature and controlled thermomechanical processing which yields a uniform defect structure.<
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