Some observations of the effects of high pressures and temperatures on the stability of YBa sub 2 Cu sub 3 O sub 7 minus x

Hot isostatic pressing and heat treatments in high-pressure oxygen were used to study the effect of pressure on the stability of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{ital x}}. At 875 {degree}C the compound decomposes at an oxygen pressure of about 7 bars. The decomposition involves formation of Y{sub 2}BaCu{sub 3}O{sub 5} and a Ba-Cu oxide phase. Formation of the latter phase involves additional oxidation because this phase can contain as many as 1.5 oxygen atoms per barium atom. The decomposition can most simply be visualized by considering the chemical reaction 2(YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{ital x}})+( (1)/(4) +{ital x}{minus}{ital y}/2)O{sub 2}{r arrow}Y{sub 2}BaCuO{sub 5}+Ba{sub 3}Cu{sub 5}O{sub 9.5{minus}{ital y}}. Encapsulated samples also decompose during hot isostatic pressing, but the process appears to be more complex. The compound YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 4}O{sub 8} was detected in addition to the two products observed in oxygen-treated samples. The reaction above, with YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{ital x}} serving as an oxygen source, aids in understanding the microstructural observations for encapsulated samples. Decomposition can be completely reversed by annealing in air for 20 h at 875 {degree}C.