FORMATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A SUPERCONDUCTING POLYMER COMPOSITE

Abstract

A series of ceramic superconductor/polymer composites showing good magnetic levitation and mechanical flexibility have been prepared by dispersing Bi2-xPbxSr2Ca2Cu3Oy powder in an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) rubber matrix, followed by hot or cold pressing and curing. Typically, the resistivities of the as-prepared flexible superconducting (in a magnetic sense) tapes or discs of the composite do not reach zero; however, the magnetic flux exclusion is maintained in the temperature range T < T(c) (105 K). The composites showed a large diamagnetic susceptibility that increased with increasing volume fraction of superconductor filler as indicated by magnetization measurements. The electrical and magnetic properties and microstructure of these composites are presented and their implications for future work are discussed.