Processing of Y2BaCuO5 foams

Abstract

Foams of conventional ceramics are attractive for a wide range of industrial applications such as filters, insulators, heat exchangers and others. Advanced functional ceramics, e.g., superconductors or piezoceramics profit from a foam structure for a variety of applications. Foams of Y2BaCuO5 - being the properitectic phase in the formation of YBa2Cu3O7 - find applications as supports for melt processing of bulk YBa2Cu3O7 materials or as preforms for processing of superconducting YBa2Cu3O7 foams. In this paper we discuss the processing of Y2BaCuO5 foams of various porosities and dimensions either as replicas of reticulated polyurethane foams or prepared by burning out of wax spacers embedded into a 211 preform.