NONAQUEOUS SLIP CASTING OF YBA2CU3O7-X CERAMICS

A ceramic casting process based on the fundamentals of slip casting ha s been developed to form high Tc superconductive ceramics. In this pro cess, YBa2Cu3O7-x Powders (<20mum) dispersed in acetone are cast into foundry molds prepared by a lost wax process. After casting, the mold is peeled away from the superconductor, yielding a ceramic monolith in the shape of the mold. This work describes the casting process, as we ll as the results of a preliminary investigation into the use of magne tic fields to orient the YBa2Cu3O7-x grains during the forming process .