Microstructure-property correlations in the Bi(Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconducting system

The microstructure of solid-state processed (Bi,Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O ceramics was characterized using transmission electron microscopy techniques. A strong sensitivity of the transport properties to small deviations in the nominal Bi-Ca ratio is evidenced. Significant differences in the microstructure are shown to correlate to the changes in the transport properties. It is suggested that the microstructure can be predicted by combining the results of resistivity, Meissner, and shielding experiments.