Directional solidification and microstructural studies of the peritectic Y2BaCuO5 phase

Directional solidification using a Bridgman furnace was performed to produce textured Y2BaCuO5 (211) rods of both stoichiometric and off-stoichiometric compositions and to investigate microstructure formation at various solidification rates. The solidification morphology of the samples changed from planar to cellular and eventually to equiaxed blocky grains with increasing solidification rate. The microstructure of the stoichiometric 211 sample revealed elongated, aligned YBa2Cu3Oy (123) phase residual in the 211 matrix. The 211 samples rich in Y2O3 phase showed no trace of residual 123 but did show trapped Y2O3 particles. The morphology of the Y2O3 particles varied from spherical to a rodlike morphology as well along the length of a specific sample as also with decreasing growth rates in different samples. The Y2O3 particles in samples exposed for longer time to the liquid phase at high temperatures exhibited coarsening and unidirectional coalescence into a rodlike morphology and retained their morphology even in the 211 matrix after solidification.