Synthesis of RBa₂Cu₃O₇₋₈ (R=Gd, Ho, Sm) Ceramic Superconductor Via Coprecipitation Method and Effects of Heat Treatment

Preparation of R-123 using conventional solid state method requires high purity oxides and carbonate powders as starting materials, multiple grindings and extended heat treatment to achieve a complete reaction via solid state diffusion. However, high sintering temperature (> 940 °C) and long heat...

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Main Author: Ahmad Rusli, Ahmad Mustaza
Format: Thesis
Language:English
English
Published: 2010
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Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/19714/1/ITMA_2010_8_F.pdf
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spelling my-upm-ir.197142013-05-27T08:02:55Z Synthesis of RBa₂Cu₃O₇₋₈ (R=Gd, Ho, Sm) Ceramic Superconductor Via Coprecipitation Method and Effects of Heat Treatment 2010-12 Ahmad Rusli, Ahmad Mustaza Preparation of R-123 using conventional solid state method requires high purity oxides and carbonate powders as starting materials, multiple grindings and extended heat treatment to achieve a complete reaction via solid state diffusion. However, high sintering temperature (> 940 °C) and long heating duration (48 - 100 hours) would cause the composition of compound to change, and consequently lowers the quality of the samples. Co-precipitation method (COP) has the capability to overcome these problems because the initial mixtures of cations in the solution are in atomic scale. This enhances the reaction during the heat treatment and the resulting starting powders are more homogenous with grain size in the nanometer range, higher purity than the powders produced by the solid state method at shorter thermal and processing time. COP method was used to prepare nanosize metal oxalate (> 50 nm) of R-123 superconductors and the oxalate powders were analyzed via Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Five major drops due to the loss of weight from the bulk sample in the formation of R-123 were observed. Base on the TGA results and previous studies, the calcinations was carried out at 900 – 960 °C. The calcined samples were pelletized and sintered under oxygen atmosphere for 15 hours at 920 ºC, 930 ºC, 940 ºC and 950 ºC. Larger grains (~ 20 μm) which were highly compacted and randomly distributed were observed for the resulting sintered samples by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The Ho-123 and Sm-123 samples which were preheated and calcined at 900 ºC, followed by sintering at 920 ºC gave single-phased compounds as confirmed by the X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). However, secondary phase of R-211 can be observed for Gd-123 samples that were treated with the same heat treatment. In resistivity measurement critical current, IC and transition temperature, TC for R-123 samples were observed above 200 mA and 90 K. However, Sm-123 showed decreasing IC when the sintering temperature was increased and zero transition temperature, TC(R=0) for Sm-123 and Ho-123 sintered at 950 ºC were below 90 K. Ceramics Superconductors Precipitation (Chemistry) 2010-12 Thesis http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/19714/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/19714/1/ITMA_2010_8_F.pdf application/pdf en public masters Universiti Putra Malaysia Ceramics Superconductors Precipitation (Chemistry) Institute of Advanced Technology English
institution Universiti Putra Malaysia
collection PSAS Institutional Repository
language English
English
topic Ceramics
Superconductors
Precipitation (Chemistry)
spellingShingle Ceramics
Superconductors
Precipitation (Chemistry)
Ahmad Rusli, Ahmad Mustaza
Synthesis of RBa₂Cu₃O₇₋₈ (R=Gd, Ho, Sm) Ceramic Superconductor Via Coprecipitation Method and Effects of Heat Treatment
description Preparation of R-123 using conventional solid state method requires high purity oxides and carbonate powders as starting materials, multiple grindings and extended heat treatment to achieve a complete reaction via solid state diffusion. However, high sintering temperature (> 940 °C) and long heating duration (48 - 100 hours) would cause the composition of compound to change, and consequently lowers the quality of the samples. Co-precipitation method (COP) has the capability to overcome these problems because the initial mixtures of cations in the solution are in atomic scale. This enhances the reaction during the heat treatment and the resulting starting powders are more homogenous with grain size in the nanometer range, higher purity than the powders produced by the solid state method at shorter thermal and processing time. COP method was used to prepare nanosize metal oxalate (> 50 nm) of R-123 superconductors and the oxalate powders were analyzed via Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Five major drops due to the loss of weight from the bulk sample in the formation of R-123 were observed. Base on the TGA results and previous studies, the calcinations was carried out at 900 – 960 °C. The calcined samples were pelletized and sintered under oxygen atmosphere for 15 hours at 920 ºC, 930 ºC, 940 ºC and 950 ºC. Larger grains (~ 20 μm) which were highly compacted and randomly distributed were observed for the resulting sintered samples by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The Ho-123 and Sm-123 samples which were preheated and calcined at 900 ºC, followed by sintering at 920 ºC gave single-phased compounds as confirmed by the X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). However, secondary phase of R-211 can be observed for Gd-123 samples that were treated with the same heat treatment. In resistivity measurement critical current, IC and transition temperature, TC for R-123 samples were observed above 200 mA and 90 K. However, Sm-123 showed decreasing IC when the sintering temperature was increased and zero transition temperature, TC(R=0) for Sm-123 and Ho-123 sintered at 950 ºC were below 90 K.
format Thesis
qualification_level Master's degree
author Ahmad Rusli, Ahmad Mustaza
author_facet Ahmad Rusli, Ahmad Mustaza
author_sort Ahmad Rusli, Ahmad Mustaza
title Synthesis of RBa₂Cu₃O₇₋₈ (R=Gd, Ho, Sm) Ceramic Superconductor Via Coprecipitation Method and Effects of Heat Treatment
title_short Synthesis of RBa₂Cu₃O₇₋₈ (R=Gd, Ho, Sm) Ceramic Superconductor Via Coprecipitation Method and Effects of Heat Treatment
title_full Synthesis of RBa₂Cu₃O₇₋₈ (R=Gd, Ho, Sm) Ceramic Superconductor Via Coprecipitation Method and Effects of Heat Treatment
title_fullStr Synthesis of RBa₂Cu₃O₇₋₈ (R=Gd, Ho, Sm) Ceramic Superconductor Via Coprecipitation Method and Effects of Heat Treatment
title_full_unstemmed Synthesis of RBa₂Cu₃O₇₋₈ (R=Gd, Ho, Sm) Ceramic Superconductor Via Coprecipitation Method and Effects of Heat Treatment
title_sort synthesis of rba₂cu₃o₇₋₈ (r=gd, ho, sm) ceramic superconductor via coprecipitation method and effects of heat treatment
granting_institution Universiti Putra Malaysia
granting_department Institute of Advanced Technology
publishDate 2010
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/19714/1/ITMA_2010_8_F.pdf
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