Effects of BaTiO3 addition on the superconducting properties of YBa2Cu3O7-y prepared by partial melt processing

Abstract The superconducting properties and the related microstmctures of YBaCuO with BaTiO 3 addition, prepared by partial melt processing, were investigated with temperature-resistivity, magnetic hysteresis, X-ray diffraction and SEM EDX analysis. The YBaCuO samples with BaTiO 3 addition show a good superconducting property ( T c above 90 K), in spite of the adding of 20 wt% of BaTiO 3 . The magnetization curve of a 5 wt% BaTiO 3 sample reveals that the adding renders a possible resistance to magnetic field. The added BaTiO 3 is decomposed and converted into another second phase, containing a large amount of Ba and Ti, during the peritectic reaction of liquid phase and 2-1-1 phase. Almost none of the Ti is introduced into the 1-2-3 matrix and the 2-1-1 phase but into the second phase formed by the added element, retaining the good superconducting properties.