Effect of process parameters in the decomposition of a cryochemical salt product of the Bi - Pb - Sr - Ca - Cu - O system on the structure and properties of a ceramics

A study was made of the effect of the temperature and time of decomposition of a salt product on the phase composition, microstructure, and magnetic susceptibility of a Bi - Pb - Sr -Ca - Cu - O superconducting ceramics. Holding the powder at 570°C slows the formation of the high-temperature phases, while increasing the decomposition temperature to 840°C and increasing the time of decomposition at 815°C have the same effect on the concentrations of the phases Ca^sub 2^PbO^sub 4^, CuO, and (CaSr)^sub 2^CuO^sub 3^. The data obtained on magnetic susceptibility, together with the results of microscopic and x-ray spectral studies, made it possible to evaluate the effect of the morphology of the grains and the grain boundaries on the superconductivity of the sintered specimens.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]