Phase Equilibria Studies Near the Superconducting YBa2Cu3Ox Composition by a Solid-State Ionic Technique

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis paper reports the findings of a phase-equilibrium study of the Y-Ba-Cu-O quaternary system in which the oxygen activity was monitored and controlled by a solid-state ionic technique. A stabilized zirconia electrolyte was used to titrate oxygen in or out of the sample and to monitor the oxygen activity inside a sealed sample chamber.Compositions at or near YBa2Cu3Ox were studied at elevated temperatures in a wide range of oxygen pressures. All compositions indicated the presence of an invariant polyphase reaction- e.g., at 1 × 10-3 atm of oxygen pressure at 850 °C-- below which the superconducting phase becomes thermodynamically unstable and undergoes a decomposition reaction. Complementary x-ray diffraction analysis of samples prepared under well-defined oxygen pressures identified the phases present and, along with the oxygen coulometric titration data, allowed the construction of a portion of the relevant quarternary phase diagram.