Investigation of MgB2 bulk superconductors synthesized by in situ spark plasma sintering at different temperatures

Abstract

In this research, the synthesis of MgB2 bulk superconductor with in-situ spark plasma sintering technique at different temperatures and the impacts of these sintering temperatures on the critical parameters (density, phase development, microstructure, transition temperature, critical current density and levitation force) of the superconductor were investigated. The optimum sintering temperature in terms of phase formation was found to be 850 degrees C. The maximum density was reached at 900 degrees C. It was determined that the critical temperatures of the samples sintered at 850 and 900 degrees C were around 39 K. It was found that the materials processed at different temperatures by in situ spark plasma sintering carry critical current densities of the order of 105 A/cm2 in the self-field and at 10 and 20 K. The maximum attractive and repulsive force are visible that there is not a linear relation with the sintering temperatures of samples.