Abstract
Type II (Y1Ba2Cu3O6+k) superconductors have been fabricated via sol-gel processing. Cu(II) ethoxide, Ba-methoxyethoxide, and Y-methoxyethoxide were synthesized from high purity metals. Gels were formed by mixing metal alkoxides, water, and solvents. The water-to-metal alkoxide ratio was chosen to be 1:1, 2:1, and 4:1 which resulted in a sol-to-gel transition time ranging from two to five days. The dried gels were fired at 950° C in flowing oxygen for 15 hrs and then slowly cooled to room temperature. The microstructure of the superconductors consisted of several phases. Susceptibility vs temperature curves showed that both the transition temperature (78 to 83 K) and the sharpness of the paramagnetic to diamagnetic transition were affected by the water-to-metal alkoxide ratio.
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Kramer, S., Wu, K. & Kordas, G. The effects of water-to-alkoxide ratio on the properties of gels and sol-gel derived high Tc ceramic superconductors. J. Electron. Mater. 17, 135–137 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02652143
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02652143