Synthesis
Relatively pure YBCO was first synthesized by heating a mixture of the metal carbonates at temperatures between 1000 to 1300 K.
- 4 BaCO3 + Y2(CO3)3 + 6 CuCO3 + (1/2−x) O2 → 2 YBa2Cu3O7−x + 13 CO2
Modern syntheses of YBCO use the corresponding oxides and nitrates.
The superconducting properties of YBa2Cu3O7−x are sensitive to the value of x, its oxygen content. Only those materials with 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.65 are superconducting below Tc, and when x ~ 0.07 the material superconducts at the highest temperature of 95 K, or in highest magnetic fields: 120 T for B perpendicular and 250 T for B parallel to the CuO2 planes.
In addition to being sensitive to the stoichiometry of oxygen, the properties of YBCO are influenced by the crystallization methods used. Care must be taken to sinter YBCO. YBCO is a crystalline material, and the best superconductive properties are obtained when crystal grain boundaries are aligned by careful control of annealing and quenching temperature rates.
Numerous other methods to synthesize YBCO have developed since its discovery by Wu and his coworkers, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), sol-gel, and aerosol methods. These alternative methods, however, still require careful sintering to produce a quality product.
However, new possibilities have been opened since the discovery that trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a source of fluorine, prevents the formation of the undesired barium carbonate (BaCO3). Routes such as CSD (chemical solution deposition) have opened a wide range of possibilities, particularly in the preparation of long length YBCO tapes. This route lowers the temperature necessary to get the correct phase to around 700 °C. This, and the lack of dependence on vacuum, makes this method a very promising way to get scalable YBCO tapes.
Read more about this topic: Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide
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