CHARACTERIZATION OF VGF MELT-GROWN YBCO

In melt-textured Y-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO), prepared by the vertical gradient f reeze (VGF) technique, the influence of a significantly larger cooling rate through the peritectic reaction was investigated. A three times faster cooling rate results mainly in a larger amount of cracks and in a size reduction of the textured domains. As in the case of smaller c ooling rates, however, the c-axis is found to be almost parallel to th e external temperature gradient.