Shape forming of superconducting ceramics

This paper reports that with the advent of high-temperature ceramic oxide superconductors, many applications which will take advantage of the zero resistance and Meissner effect properties of these materials have been envisioned. Low-resistance electrical interconnects, Josephson junctions, circuit devices and solenoids, motors, low-friction bearings, microwave cavities, and even power transmission applications have been suggested. In order to apply superconducting ceramics to these and other applications, they must be formed to a design specification. Successful utilization of the high-temperature ceramic oxide superconductors will involve coupling material properties and processing techniques to create shaped conductor bodies to meet desired applications. The most commonly studied superconducting systems are Y-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO), Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O (BSCO), Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O (TBCO), La-Sr-Ca-Cu-O (LSCO), and their variants. Manufacturing of shaped superconductors in all of these systems involves design of appropriate precursors, shaping of green ceramics, and control of firing variables.