Influence of Nano-Ag Addition on Phase Formation and Electrical Properties of (Cu0.5Tl0.5)-1223 Superconducting Phase

Superconducting samples of type (nano-Ag) (x) Cu0.5Tl0.5Ba2Ca2Cu3O10-delta , x=0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 3.0 wt.%, were prepared under ambient pressure via a single step solid-state reaction technique at 850 A degrees C. The prepared samples were characterized by means of X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The electrical properties of the prepared samples were investigated using the electrical resistivity and I-V measurements. The low addition of nano-Ag up to x=1.5 wt.% enhanced the phase formation and improved the superconducting transition temperature T (c) , critical current density J (c) , and melting temperature. For x > 1.5 wt.%, a reverse trend was observed.