Effect of BaCO3 addition on critical temperature of Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductor

Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O high temperature superconductor has been applied in the field of electricity as power transport cables. This work has been carried out to investigate the effect of addition of BaCO₃ on Bi_{1, 6}Pb_{0, 4}Sr₂Ca₂Cu₂O₁₀ superconductors. Solid state reaction method was used to prepare all samples. The starting materials were Bi₂O₃, PbO₂, SrCO₃, CaCO₃, CuO, and BaCO₃ powder. Starting materials without BaCO₃ were ground using a mortar agate for 3 h. After calcination process of 820°C for 20 h, samples were mixed with BaCO₃ (1 %wt, 2 %wt) and then sintered by 850°C for 30 h. Characterizations ware conducted by using cryogenic magnet to determine the critical temperature (Tc), SEM-EDX to analyze morphology, and XRD to determine the phase formed. There were semiconductor properties at high temperature and it was found that the addition of BaCO₃ decreased Tc of the samples. 1 %wt BaCO₃ showed a critical temperature with Tc_onset = 86 K and Tc_zero = 52 K, and 2 %wt of BaCO₃ has Tc_onset of 80 K, and Tc_zero of 23 K. The surface morphology contains agglomeration and there is a lot of porosity. The dominant phase formed is Bi(Pb)-2212 with a volume fraction of 64.71%.