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Title: Preparing superconducting ceramic materials

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5097935

This patent describes the process of fabricating superconducting ceramic bodies comprising {gt}99 percent YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7}. It comprises wet milling an aqueous slurry comprising selected proportions of starting ingredients comprising yttrium oxide, barium carbonate and cupric oxide in an approximately 1:2:3 molar ratio to form a milled slurry, the aqueous slurry including a binder, a defoaming agent and a dispersant, continuously agitating the milled slurry after the wet milling step so as to avoid non-uniform sedimentation of starting ingredients in the slurry, spray drying the milled slurry into particulate material, calcining the spray dried particulate material to produce a calcined powder, the calcining step comprising ramping the temperature within a calcining furnace containing the spray dried particulate material to 900{degrees}C in 4 hours, soaking the particulate matter at 900{degrees}C for a period of 24 hours and, thereafter, ramping the temperature to about 450{degrees}C in about 4 hours, the calcined powder comprising {ge}95 percent YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7}, forming the calcined powder into a body having a desired form, and sintering the body, the sintering including the steps comprising ramping the temperature of a sintering furnace to 900{degrees}C in 2 hours, ramping the temperature from 900{degrees} to 975{degrees}C in 6 hours, soaking the body at 975{degrees}C for 6 hours, ramping the temperature from 975{degrees}C to 450{degrees}C in 1 hour, soaking the body at 450{degrees}C for 4 hours, and ramping the temperature from 450{degrees}C to room temperature in 1 hour.

Assignee:
AT and T Bell Lab., Murray Hill, NJ (USA)
Patent Number(s):
US 5006504; A
Application Number:
PPN: US 7-399649; TRN: 91-031564
OSTI ID:
5097935
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 28 Aug 1989
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English