Modeling superconductor degradation using magnetic levitation

Abstract

Corrosion of YBa2Cu3O7−x pellets has been studied using magnetic levitation. Pellets compressed at green compaction pressures of 120–200 MPa were exposed to water and air and the levitation heights were measured over a period of more than a month. A model based on diffusion as a rate-controlling step has been proposed. Levitation height normalized with respect to the initial levitation height was used as the modeling parameter. The experiments indicate that the normalized levitation height decreased with time up to a certain level called the saturation leviation, beyond which there is no change in the levitation height. Samples in air degraded faster than samples in water. The initial period of degradation before saturation fits the proposed model well and therefore appears to be diffusion controlled. The saturation levitation shows a dependence on the green compaction pressure. It has been proposed that corrosion (degrading reactions) is due to open porosities which are closed by the reaction products, thus causing a saturation in the levitation height dependent on the porosities.