ELASTICITY STUDIES OF RE-BA-CU-O HIGH-T-C SUPERCONDUCTORS

A series of RE-Ba-Cu-O high-T-c superconductors have been prepared by the solid-state reaction method. After usual characterisation of the samples by XRD, electrical resistance, electron microscopy, bulk density and porosity studies, the longitudinal (V-l) and shear wave (V-s) velocity measurements have been undertaken by the pulse transmission technique. Using the experimental values of V-l and V-s, the Young modulus (E), rigidity modulus (G) and Poisson ratio (sigma) have been evaluated. As the porosity of the samples is as high as 39%, the elasticity parameters of a non-porous matrix have been obtained using Meckenzie's method. The variation of elastic constants with composition has been explained in terms of binding forces between various ions of the superconducting materials.