Electrical DC characteristics of textured BSCCO-2212 thin rods developed for current leads

Textured Bi-2212 thin rods have been fabricated using a laser floating zone melting technique. Very high critical current densities, J/sub c/(77 K) >5000 A/cm/sup 2/, have been obtained in samples of 1 mm in diameter. Transport properties of these samples at temperatures between 65 and 77 K are reported. The results has been analysed assuming a flux flow mechanism for the appearance of the self field energy losses. A leading pinning mechanism associated with the planar junctions between grains have been considered.