Effect of Ag addition on the mechanical properties of bulk superconductors

Bulk superconductors can function as quasi-permanents with generating magnetic fields much higher than those of conventional permanent magnets. However, a large electromagnetic force acts on such bulk superconductors, which sometimes leads to fracture. It is known that Ag addition is effective in improving the fracture toughness of bulk Y-Ba-Cu-O superconductors. Therefore, in this paper, we have studied the effects of Ag addition both on trapped field capability and mechanical properties of bulk RE-Ba-Cu-O (RE: Y, Sm) and have found that Ag addition is indeed effective in improving the mechanical properties of a large single-grain RE-Ba-Cu-O.