Fabrication and characterization of C15H12O2 doped MgB2 bulk superconductors

Abstract

The synthesis and characterization of bulk MgB2 superconductors doped with various amounts of organic compound C15H12O2 are reported. We prepared MgB2 + C15H12O2 samples by means of wet-mixing process in ethyl toluene. A high J(c) value 3.6 x 10(5) A/cm(2) in self field was achieved at 20 K for 5 wt% C15H12O2 doped MgB2 sample. The thermal and microstructural analysis of the doped samples revealed the existence of significant differences in their granular structures. The results were interpreted in terms of the additive effects of C15H12O2. Our findings suggested that C15H12O2 promises to be an appropriate material to improve J(c) in a wide magnetic field range at low dopant levels. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.