Processing for Bi/Sr/Ca/Cu/O-2223 superconductors

A method for preparing a BSCCO-2223 oxide superconductor article, comprising the steps of:

• deforming an oxide superconductor article, the article comprised of at least BSCCO-2223, whereby deformation induces alignment of a c-axis of the BSCCO-2223 oxide superconductor;
• exposing an oxide superconductor article to a two-step heat treatment after deformation of the article, the heat treatment comprising,
• (a) heating the article to and maintaining the article at a temperature in the range of about 815.degree.-860.degree. C. for a period of time in the range of about 0.1 to 300 hours at a P.sub.O2 in the range of about 0.001-1.0 atm;
• and
• (b) cooling the article to and maintaining the article at a temperature range of about 780.degree.-845.degree. C. for a period of time in the range of about 30 to 300 hours at a P.sub.O2 in the range of about 0.01-1.0 atm,
• the method characterized in that no deformation which is capable of introducing defects perpendicular to the direction of current flow occurs after the two-step heat treatment.

A method for preparing a BSCCO-2223 oxide superconductor article, comprising the steps of:

• deforming an oxide superconductor article, the article comprised of at least BSCCO-2223, whereby deformation induces alignment of a c-axis of the BSCCO-2223 oxide superconductor;
• and
• exposing the the oxide superconductor article to a two-step heat treatment after deformation of the article, the heat treatment comprising,
• (a) heating the article to and maintaining the article at a first temperature and pressure range sufficient to partially melt the article, such that a liquid phase co-exists with the BSCCO-2223 oxide superconductor phase;
• and
• (b) cooling the article to and maintaining the article in a second temperature and pressure range sufficient to substantially transform the liquid phase into the BSCCO-2223 oxide superconductor, and holding the article in the second temperature and pressure range for at time sufficient to substantially transform the liquid phase into the BSCCO-2223 oxide phase,
• the method characterized in that no deformation occurs after the two-step heat treatment.