Pulsed current and high voltage measurements on sintered and textured ceramics BiPbSrCaCuO superconductors

High pulsed currents with a duration varying from 1.25 to 20 ms have been applied at 77 K to sintered and textured samples. For I > Ic, two types of behaviour are observed : When the average temperature of the sample is lower than Tc, a critical current is recovered at the end of the pulse. Above Tc, samples remain normal after the pulse because the sample temperature is too high leading to a maximum instantaneous applied power up to 140 GW/m(3) in the textured sample. V(I) curves for sintered and textured samples are compared. At 15 times Ic, the measured electric fields are 1000 V/m and 400 V/m for textured and sintered samples respectively.