Intrinsic Kinetics of Carbon Dioxide Degradation of YBa2Cu3O7‐x

The intrinsic kinetics, unaffected by diffusional and masstransfer effects, of the CO2 degradation of superconducting particles have been determined using a nonisothermal technique. Below 900°C, the carbonization of YBa2Cu3O7-x leads to formation of BaCO3, Y2Cu2O5, CuO, and Cu2O. A further increase in temperature results in formation of BaCuO2 from BaCO3 and CuO. The carbonization rate shows the 1.5th-order dependence on the amount of unreacted YBa2Cu3O7-x for the temperature range of 550° to 815°C. The activation energy of carbonization was determined to be 95.1 kJ · mol−1.