Comparison between solid state reaction and co-precipitation methods for preparing yttrium barium copper oxide (YBa2Cu3O7) superconductor

This study is conducted so for comparing the solid state reaction method with co-precipitation method in preparing YBCO. The main problem faced in synthesizing high purity of YBCO is that the precursor substrate does reacted to become impurity material phases. The precursor substrate for both the solid state reaction which are yttrium oxide, barium carbonate with copper oxide and co-precipitation reaction which consumed metal acetates of yttrium, barium and copper was reacted for forming YBCO. TiO2 was added into YBCO samples with 1 wt%, 2 wt%, and 5 wt% in both of the preparing method respectively. Characterization technique of X-Ray Diffraction, XRD to determine crystal structure and phases analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy, SEM for determine morphology were performed. The result is that solid state reaction does that having multiphase compound in XRD pattern, while co-precipitation sample is having single phase of YBCO. From the XRD data analysis, peak phases of YBCO is less occurring in solid state route while single phase of YBCO is formed at co-precipitation reaction with various weight percentage addition of TiO2. Dominant phase of YBCO peak, (013) is that present in the XRD pattern. Y211 phase is detected at 5 wt% addition of TiO2 from both method of synthesizing. All the co-precipitation sample is tetragonal system while solid state sample had orthorhombic structure at 5 wt% addition of TiO2. The SEM images does show that the co-precipitation method is having lower porosity of YBCO sample comparing to solid state, from Owt% to 5 wt% addition of Ti02. Co-precipitation is that produced finer grain and denser YBCO comparing to solid state reaction. In conclusion, the co-precipitation reaction is more superior in producing YBCO comparing to solid state reaction.