Effect of grinding on the morphology and superconducting properties of YBa2Cu3Ox powder

Preparation of YBa2Cu3Ox by solid state reaction of constituent oxides or carbonates results in a powder that is normally coarse and has a wide size distribution. Preparation of the fine powder is of utmost importance in the processing of the material into wires and tapes. The grinding media used seem to exert considerable influence on the morphology of the powders. Generally long exposure to liquid media results in the degradation of the material.The size, shape and distribution of powders ground in hexane, ethanol, xylene and deodorized kerosene for different time intervals up to 300 hours were studied. The degradation caused by exposure to the liquid media used for grinding and the effect of long term grinding on the crystal structure are also discussed.