OPTIMIZATION OF TEXTURING PROCESS BY HOT-PRESSING OF BI-PB-SR-CA-CU-O(2223) CERAMICS

We have optimized a texturing process of Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O (2223) super conducting ceramics by hot pressing. The Hoechst precursor powder has been first pressurized at 1 GPa and then heated under uniaxial stress up to 35 MPa, just below the melting temperature between 850 degrees C and 857 degrees C. We have obtained large textured samples having cri tical transport current densities J(c) as large as 2500 A/cm(2). In th is work, we have optimized the stress value as well as the temperature treatment on the basis of characterizations such as magnetization and electrical-transport measurements.