Stress–strain behavior under static loading in Gd123 high-temperature superconductors at 77 K

Abstract

Mechanical properties of melt-growth GdBa2Cu3Ox (Gd123) superconducting samples with 10wt.% Ag2O and 0.5wt.% Pt were evaluated at 77K through flexural tests for specimens cut from the samples in order to estimate the mechanical properties of the Gd123 material without metal substrates, buffer layers or stabilization layers. We discuss the mechanical properties; the Young’s modulus and flexural strength with stress–strain behavior at 77K. The results show that the flexural strength and fracture strain of Gd123 at 77K are approximately 100MPa and 0.1%, respectively, and that the origin of the fracture is defects such as pores, impurities and non-superconducting compounds. We also show that the Young’s modulus of Gd123 is estimated to be 160–165GPa.