Process of making an oriented polycrystal superconductor

A process for producing a superconductive sintered body which comprises providing a matrix powder of YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-y wherein y ranges from zero to about 1, providing LnBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-y seed crystals where Ln is selected from the group consisting of Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, those combinations thereof wherein the seed crystals have a preferred axis of magnetization which is parallel to the c-axis, or those combinations thereof wherein the seed crystals have a preferred axis of magnetization which is perpendicular to the c-axis, and wherein y ranges from zero to about 1, said seed crystals having an average particle size at least about twice as large as the average particle size of said matrix powder, forming a mixture of said matrix powder and seed crystals, said seed crystals ranging from about 1% by volume to about 50% by volume of said mixture, applying an aligning magnetizing field to said mixture to at least substantially align said seed crystals along their preferred axis of magnetization, forming the resulting aligned material in an aligning magnetizing field into a compact wherein said seed crystals are substantially aligned along their preferred axis of magnetization, sintering said compact in an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature ranging from about 900.degree. C. to below the melting point of said mixture producing a sintered body having an open porosity ranging from zero to about 20% by volume of said body, and cooling said body in an oxidizing atmosphere at a rate which produces a superconductive body.

A process for producing a superconductive sintered body which comprises providing a matrix powder of LaBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-y wherein y ranges from zero to about 1, providing LnBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-y seed crystals where Ln is selected from the group consisting of Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, those combinations thereof wherein the seed crystals have a preferred axis of magnetization which is parallel to the c-axis, or those combinations thereof wherein the seed crystals have a preferred axis of magnetization which is perpendicular to the c-axis, and wherein y ranges from zero to about 1, said seed crystals having an average particle size at least about twice as large as the average particle size of said matrix powder, forming a mixture of said matrix powder and seed crystals, said seed crystals ranging from about 1% by volume to about 50% by volume of said mixture, applying an aligning magnetizing field to said mixture to at least substantially align said seed crystals along their preferred axis of magnetization, forming the resulting aligned material in an aligning magnetizing field into a compact wherein said seed crystals are substantially aligned along their preferred axis of magnetization, sintering said compact in an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature ranging from about 900.degree. C. to below the melting point of said mixture producing a sintered body having an open porosity ranging from zero to about 20% by volume of said body, and cooling said body in an oxidizing atmosphere at a rate which produces a superconductive body.