High Density Bulk Shape Rapid Consolidation of the Yba2Cu307-X Superconductor

A novel rapid densification technique for fabrication of bulk shape YBa2Cu307–xsuperconductor is presented. The Ceracon process is a one-step, quasi-isostatic consolidation route utilizing conventional P/M equipment and set-up. The Ceracon technology has enabled successful fabrication of bulk, shapes such as discs, cylinders, hollow cylinders and spheres along with significant increases in the density up to 95-98% of the theorertical. The superconducting volume fraction is preserved due to short hold times at the operating temperatures and avoidance of high processing temperatures. Results based on densities, microstructure, susceptibility measurements, X-ray diffraction patterns and TGA measurements are discussed.