Effect of Pr Additions to Li-doped Bi2212 Bulk Superconductors Sintered at Low Temperature

The physical properties study of the Bi2Sr2CaCu2Oy (Bi2212) ceramics samples sintered at low temperature has been carried out by measurement of electrical resistance and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The effects of Pr doping on the formation process of the Bi2212 phase, and its structural and superconducting features were studied. The samples were prepared by a solid-state reaction method from oxides and carbonate powders. The samples with nominal composition Bi2.12Sr1.90Ca1.02Cu1.96Li0.15Cl0.15Oy added with praseodymium oxide (Pr2O3) were sintered in air at 710 °C. The Pr2O3 addition ranging between 0.1mass% and 1.2mass% promotes the formation of the Bi2212 phase in low temperature synthesis. The full-width at half maximum (FWHM) value of the (200) and (0010) XRD peaks is slightly decreasing in the samples for low level doping and reaches a minimum around 0.6mass%. The maximum zero resistance temperature (Tc) is observed at 82.5K for the sample with 0.6mass% Pr2O3 addition by sintering even at 710 °C, which is about 150 °C lower than that of the non-added Bi2212 phase.