Ceramics-Silikáty 45 (2) 76-80 (2001)

INFLUENCE OF SILVER DOPING ON THE MICROSTRUCTURE AND MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF YBa₂Cu₃O₇/Ag COMPOSITES 

S. Hoste, I. Van Driessche, E. Bruneel, G. Plesch, A. Cigán, J. Manka

This paper describes the synthesis of a series of bulk samples with different silver content covering the whole range up to very high loadings (0 - 80 wt.%). Although such high loadings are probably less relevant to fundamental phenomena, they may have very high industrial significance. They are for instance required to increase the thermal conductivity of bulk materials used in high power magnetron sputtering deposition techniques. The morphological characteristics of Ag-containing composites are discussed are related to their superconducting properties which have been studied in detail using AC and DC susceptometry at high and low field. The results exemplify the role of silver as synthetic flux at high temperatures and as mediator of oxygen transport at lower temperatures in addition to its role of enhancer of mechanical and thermal properties.