Ag addition effect on laser textured Bi-2212 samples abstract

Ag addition effect on laser textured Bi-2212 samples abstract The addition of Ag into Bi-2212 compounds has demonstrated to be a suitable method to improve both, the thermal and mechanical properties as well as the electrical ones. The final properties have been found to be in strong dependence of Ag content and the processing technique. In the present work the influence of Ag addition on Bi-2212 bulk materials grown from the melt, using a laser floating zone melting technique, has been studied. Samples with different Ag contents (0 to 40 wt.%) were prepared for this work. The Bi-2212 + x wt.% Ag powders have been prepared by a sol-gel method via nitrates to assure total cation solution, small particle size and good homogeneity in the mixture. Cylindrical precursors, fabricated from these powders, were used as feed in a LFZ melting installation to obtain textured Bi-2212/Ag composites. The effect of the Ag addition on the microstructure is analysed as a function of Ag content. The changes on the microstructure are also correlated with the mechanical and superconducting properties.