CRYSTAL-GROWTH OF THE BI2SR2CACU2O8 SUPERCONDUCTOR

Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 crystal growth has been made by slow cooling of samples completely or partially melted in gold crucibles. All 2212 growth expe riments were made under air atmosphere, using presynthetised ceramics as starting materials. A growth may be noticed when the cooling is eff ective, from a T-s epsilon [905;980 degrees C] starting temperature at a v(c) epsilon [0.5;20 degrees C h(-1)] speed. Crystals were characte rized by X-ray diffraction, X-micro-analysis and electrical resistivit y. Such grown crystals are superconducting with T-c epsilon [88;96 K] and a sharp Delta T-c transition.