Bulk thermal expansion studies of BiCaSrCu2O x and Bi2CaSr2Cu2O x

The compounds BiCaSrCu₂O _x and Bi₂CaSr₂Cu₂O _x were prepared by ceramic techniques and characterized by X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD) and microthermogravimetry (TG) and their bulk thermal expansion measurements were carried out using dilatometry in the temperature range 298T1073 K in air. The results have been analyzed and are compared with those obtained earlier for YBa₂Cu₃O₇. The XRD analysis shows that both BiCaSrCu₂O _x and Bi₂CaSr₂Cu₂O _x are single phase in nature, having an orthorhombic symmetry. The TG analysis carried out in oxygen, air, and nitrogen shows negligible weight loss (R~0.1%) on heating to 1073 K, indicating that these two compounds, unlike YBa₂Cu₃O₇, are quite stable. The analysis of bulk thermal expansion data reveals that the average linear thermal expansion coefficient ( ₁) for both BiCaSrCu₂O _x and Bi₂CaSr₂Cu₂O _x is almost the same ( ₁ 10.5×10^–6 K^–1) and is found to be nearly half of that for YBa₂Cu₃O₇ ( ₁ 18×10^–6 K^–1), suggesting that the interatomic bonding in both BiCaSrCu₂O _x and Bi₂CaSr₂Cu₂O _x is stronger as compared to YBa₂Cu₃O₇.