Effect of cooling rate on evolution of superconducting phases during decomposition and recrystallization of (Bi, Pb)-2223 core in Ag-sheathed tape

The reformation of (Bi, Pb)-2223 from the liquid or melt is very important for a melting process of (Bi, Pb)-2223 tape. By combination of quenching experiment with X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, the effect of cooling rate on the evolution of three superconducting phases in the (Bi, Pb)-2223 core of Ag-sheathed tape was investigated. The results show that (Bi, Pb)-2223 reformation from the melt seems to experience different routes during slowly cooling at different rates. One is that (Bi, Pb)-2223 phase reformed directly from the melt, and no Bi-2212 participate in this process. The other is that (Bi, Pb)-2223 is converted from the intermediate product, Bi-2212, which formed from the melt during the first cooling stage. Due to the inherent sluggish formation kinetics of (Bi, Pb)-2223 from Bi-2212, only partial (Bi, Pb)-2223 can finally be reformed with the second route.