Synthesis of Nanocrystalline BaCeO3 by Oxalate Coprecipitation for YBa2Cu3O7 Bulk Superconductors

Barium cerate (BaCeO3) is one of the preferred additions to bulk YBa2Cu3O7 single-grain superconductors to inhibit the growth of Y2BaCuO5 particles. The present paper investigates synthesis of very fine barium cerate powder and its use in YBa2Cu3O7 bulk superconductor growth. The crystalline barium cerate was synthesized by oxalate co-precipitation from barium and cerium nitrates. X-ray diffraction in air and vacuum was performed to understand the formation of barium cerate as well as to determinate its crystal structure. Size and shape of BaCeO3 particles were studied by scanning electron microscopy. The BaCeO3 was used to grow YBa2Cu3O7 bulk superconductor. Microstructure of prepared YBa2Cu3O7 crystal shows that the barium cerate in the final product is very fine and uniformly distributed throughout the whole YBa2Cu3O7 crystal.