Microstructure and thermal properties of quasi-equal rare earth substitution Y0.5Gd0.5Ba2Cu3 O6.94 superconductor

Abstract

Sintering effects in YBa2Cu3Oz samples with quasi-equal rare earth substitution have been investigated. It has been shown that the Y-123 type compound can be formed when gadolinium is partially substituted (in this case 50% atomic substitution) for yttrium. The superconducting compound was obtained by the optimized ceramic method, including solid-state reaction, melting and sintering, controlled by X-ray diffraction. The microstructure was investigated by SEM and energy dispersive X-ray analyses. An AC susceptibility measurement has shown that Tc = 93 K. Temperature-dependece of the thermal conductivity (4.5-300 K) of the polycrystalline Y0.5Gd0.5Ba2Cu3 O6.94 sample was also measured. © Versita Warsaw and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2009.