BARIUM RARE-EARTH ZIRCONATES - SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND THEIR POSSIBLE APPLICATION AS SUBSTRATES FOR YBA2CU3O7-DELTA SUPERCONDUCTORS

A new class of complex perovskite oxides Ba(2)REZrO(6-x) (RE = Pr, Nd, Sm and Gd) have been synthesised and sintered as single phase materia ls with high sintered density and stability by solid state reaction me thod. The structure of Ba(2)REZrO(6-x) was studied by X-ray diffractio n technique and all of them were found to be isostructural and have a cubic perovskite structure. No chemical reaction was observed between Ba(2)REZrO(6-x) and YBa2Cu3O7-delta even after annealing a 1:1 volume mixture at 950 degrees C for 20 h. The dielectric constant and loss fa ctor of these materials are in a range suitable for their use as subst rates for YBa2Cu3O7-delta superconductors. Ba(2)REZrO(6-x) melts congr uently and could be grown as single crystals from melt.