Hot Isostatic Pressing of YBa2Cu3O7-δ and YBa2Cu3O7–δ/Ag Composites

Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) can be used to produce fully dense shapes of high-temperature ceramic superconductors. Densification modeling of monolithic YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ and the composite YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ/Ag systems allows an understanding of the HIP process and has led to the development of successful protocols for HIP of these materials. Ag metal is the best encapsulation material found for both systems. HIP of monolithic YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ requires a slow ramp of pressure in order to prevent decomposition into more basic oxides such as Y₂BaCuO₅ and CuO. HIP of composite YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ/Ag requires careful powder processing to obtain dense material with a fine dispersion of Ag.