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The effects of carbon nanofibers addition on transport and superconducting properties of YBa2Cu3O7−δ (Y-123) superconductor were studied. Y-123 was prepared using co-precipitation method for good quality bulk of high temperature superconducting material. Carbon nanofibers with 0.2–0.8 wt% were added into Y-123 superconductors. The samples were characterized using electrical resistance measurement for critical temperature (Tc) and critical current density (Jc), powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. Most of the samples indicated a dominant Y-123 phase of an orthorhombic structure with a minor phase of BaCO3 and Y-124. Onset critical temperature was found to decrease from 90.5 to 80 K with increasing of carbon nanofibers concentration. The Jc for pure sample is 11 A/cm2 at 30 K while the Jc of sample with 0.4 wt% carbon nanofibers is 830 A/cm2 at 30 K. Introduction of carbon nanofibers enhanced Jc significantly. However, further addition of carbon nanofibers in Y-123 superconductor caused degradation in Jc.

High temperature superconductor Tl-1212 with nominal starting composition (Tl0.85Cr0.15)Sr2CaCu2O7-δ was prepared with high purity oxide powders using a solid state reaction method. Small amounts of nickel-zinc ferrite nanoparticles (Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4) at compositions 0.01, 0.02, 0.05 and 0.10 wt. % were added into Tl-1212 superconductors. The effect of Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles’ addition on the critical temperature (Tc), transport critical current density (Jc), phase formation, and morphology was studied. The samples were characterized using electrical resistance measurement, transport critical current density measurement, powder X-ray diffraction method (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). Zero-resistance critical temperature (Tc-zero) was found to rise from 97 K to 99 K with increasing Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles concentration. The highest value recorded for transport critical current density (Jc) was 3,120 mA/cm2 at 77 K, which exhibited by sample with 0.02 wt. % of Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles. All samples showed a dominant Tl-1212 phase and exhibited tetragonal lattice structure in the P4/mmm space group. SEM micrographs showed close-packed microstructure with low porosity. EDX mapping showed that Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles were well distributed in the Tl-1212 samples. This study demonstrated that Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles have functioned as effective flux pinning centers to Tl-1212 superconductors and thus significantly enhanced its Jc.

Thallium-based high temperature superconductor (HTS) with nominal starting composition (Tl0.85Cr0.15)Sr2CaCu2O7-δ (Tl-1212) was prepared using high purity oxide powders via solid state reaction method. Small amounts (0.0 – 0.15 wt. %) of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (CoFe2O4) were added into Tl-1212 superconductors. The effect of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles addition on the critical temperature (Tc), phase formation and microstructure properties including elemental compositional analysis were studied. The samples were investigated by the characterization of electrical resistance measurement, powder X-ray diffraction method (XRD), scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). Zero-resistance temperature (Tc-zero) was found to reduce from 97 K to 89 K with increasing of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles concentration. Most of the samples indicated a dominant Tl-1212 phase of a tetragonal structure with a minor phase of Tl-1201. SEM micrographs with EDX mapping showed that CoFe2O4 nanoparticles were well distributed in all the samples.