Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) can be used to produce fully dense shapes of high-temperature ceramic superconductors. Densification modeling of monolithic YBa,Cu,07-8 and the composite YBa,Cu,O,-,/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 YBa,Cu,O,-, requires a slow ramp of pressure in order to prevent decomposition into more basic oxides such as Y,BaCuO, and CuO. HIP of composite YBa2Cu,0,-,/Ag requires careful powder processing to obtain dense material with a fine dispersion of Ag.
I. IntroductionINCE the advent of ceramic high-temperature superconduc-S t o r s ,I,' the single most consuming occupation in this developing sector has been fabrication of useful parts. The fabrication of thin films has made significant progress by using methodologies which had been developed for the electronics industry. The fabrication of bulk shapes has made some progress, but the properties of the resulting materials still lag behind those of thin films. Successful processing must maintain oxygen stoichiometry.' This becomes difficult in bulk high-density material because of the low oxygen diffusivity of the YBazCu,O7-, phase and the lack of gas-phase transport at high densities. Grain texture is also important both because of the intrinsic transport properties4 and because of the grain boundary properties5,6A dispersion of metallic silver enhances the superconducting properties of the YBa,Cu,O,-, through several proposed mechanisms. Silver has an oxygen diffusivity much higher than YBa2Cu,0,-, in the temperature range where YBa,Cu,O,-, needs to absorb oxygen to become orthorhombic and superconducting. Filamentary oxygen conduction by silver allows a uniform oxygen distribution to be obtained rapidly. Silver is also quite ductile, makes good contacts with YBa,Cu,O,-, particles, and has a high coefficient of thermal expansion. All three of these properties contribute to a reduction in microcracking. The Ag metal also probably assists in forming a good electrical contact with a normal conductor.Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) adds flexibility to other bulk processing methodologies by performing consolidation without significant microstructural changes. The retention of fine grains is desirable for the development of texture through anisotropic P. K. Gallaghcr-contributing editor Manuscript No. 196226.