ChemInform Abstract: The Role of Thermal Analysis in the Study of Oxide Superconductors

Abstract

Since the discovery of high temperature oxide superconductors in 1986, synthesis became an important area in the direction of getting new materials with still higher J{sub c} and J{sub c} values. The various synthesis procedures have played a significant role in the nature of products and in turn on their physical properties. An optimization of the synthesis procedure is always desired and there is a need to establish new synthetic routes or to modify the existing ones. Thermal techniques, e.g., TG, DGAA, DSC, dilametry and so forth, in conjunction with other techniques, like X-ray diffraction, gas chromatography, and mass-spectrometry, play a significant role in the synthetic solid-state chemistry. Modern thermoanalytical techniques, like emanation thermal analysis (ETA), or thermopiezic techniques are of immense importance to study the various aspects of solids. The effect of oxygen partial pressure on the final product is also discussed in this review article. Other techniques, like high temperature XRD, thermodilatometry, and temperature programmed reduction (TPR), are also covered to elucidate several microscopic properties of the oxide superconductors. An emphasis is also made on thermoelectrometry and thermomagnetometry techniques.