Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
176 words
A process for the preparation of an oxide superconductor comprising an oxide of RE (which represents at least one member selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements including Y), Ba and Cu, said process comprising: a) forming a plate-shaped or linear formed body obtained by quenching and solidifying a melt containing said elements of RE, Ba and Cu; b) inserting a front end of the formed body into a heating furnace having a temperature range of from 1050° to 910° C. to form a heating zone on the front end of the formed body having the above temperature range thus obtaining a nuclei of the 123 phase of a matrix of the formed body; c) moving the formed body through the heating furnace at a speed lower than 0.4 cm/hr so that the heating zone moves from the front end of the formed body to the rear end thereof; wherein, a single crystal of the 123 phase of the matrix is formed from the front end to the rear end of the formed body.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
176 words
A process for the preparation of an oxide superconductor comprising an oxide of RE (which represents at least one member selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements including Y), Ba and Cu, said process comprising: a) forming a plate-shaped or linear formed body obtained by quenching and solidifying a melt containing said elements of RE, Ba and Cu; b) inserting a front end of the formed body into a heating furnace having a temperature range of from 1050° to 910° C. to form a heating zone on the front end of the formed body having the above temperature range thus obtaining a nuclei of the 123 phase of a matrix of the formed body; c) moving the formed body through the heating furnace at a speed lower than 0.4 cm/hr so that the heating zone moves from the front end of the formed body to the rear end thereof; wherein, a single crystal of the 123 phase of the matrix is formed from the front end to the rear end of the formed body.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process according to claim 2, wherein the heating zone has a temperature gradient of at least 2° C./cm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the heating zone has a temperature range of from 1000° to 950° C. and a temperature gradient of at least 2° C./cm.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
236 words
A process for the preparation of an oxide superconductor, consisting essentially of an oxide of RE (which represents at least the member selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements including Y) Ba and Cu comprising: a) forming a plate-shaped or linear formed body by quenching and solidifying a melt containing said elements of RE, Ba and Cu; b) inserting the formed body into a heating furnace; c) raising a temperature of the heating furnace to a temperature of higher than 1050° C. and heating the formed body at this temperature; d) dropping a temperature at one side of the heating furnace to obtain a temperature gradient in the heating furnace of at least 2° C./cm is dropped at a rate lower than 0.8° C./hr while maintaining said temperature gradient, whereby a temperature of the heating furnace is dropped at a rate lower than 0.8° C./hr while maintaining said temperature gradient, and a temperature range of from 1050° to 910° C. toward the one side of the heating furnace; e) dropping the temperature of the heating furnace at a rate of less than 0.8° C./hr while maintaining the temperature gradient; f) growing nuclei of a crystal of a 123 phase of a matrix of the formed body at a speed lower than 0.4 cm/hr to form a single crystal of the 123 phase from the front end to the rear end of the formed body.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
236 words
A process for the preparation of an oxide superconductor, consisting essentially of an oxide of RE (which represents at least the member selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements including Y) Ba and Cu comprising: a) forming a plate-shaped or linear formed body by quenching and solidifying a melt containing said elements of RE, Ba and Cu; b) inserting the formed body into a heating furnace; c) raising a temperature of the heating furnace to a temperature of higher than 1050° C. and heating the formed body at this temperature; d) dropping a temperature at one side of the heating furnace to obtain a temperature gradient in the heating furnace of at least 2° C./cm is dropped at a rate lower than 0.8° C./hr while maintaining said temperature gradient, whereby a temperature of the heating furnace is dropped at a rate lower than 0.8° C./hr while maintaining said temperature gradient, and a temperature range of from 1050° to 910° C. toward the one side of the heating furnace; e) dropping the temperature of the heating furnace at a rate of less than 0.8° C./hr while maintaining the temperature gradient; f) growing nuclei of a crystal of a 123 phase of a matrix of the formed body at a speed lower than 0.4 cm/hr to form a single crystal of the 123 phase from the front end to the rear end of the formed body.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process according to claim 4, wherein the temperature range toward the one side of the heating region is from 1000° to 950° C.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
A process according to claim 1, 3, 4 or 5, wherein a plurality of said formed bodies are continuously inserted in the heating furnace and the formed bodies are bonded to one another in sequence in the partially molten state.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
55 words
A process according to claim 1, 3, 4 or 5, wherein the formed body in the heating furnace is in the partially molten state and a bulk material having a crystal direction oriented in a certain direction is brought into contact as a seed crystal with the low-temperature formed body in said partially molten state.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
43 words
A process according to claim 1, 3, 4 or 5, wherein the formed body in the heating furnace is in the partially molten state and a substance containing Ba and Cu elements is added to the formed body in said partially molten state.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
190 words
A process for the preparation of an oxide superconductor consisting essentially of an oxide of RE (which represents at least one member selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements including Y), Ba and Cu comprising: a) forming a plate-shaped or linear formed body by quenching and solidifying a melt containing said elements of RE, Ba and Cu; b) inserting the formed body into a furnace and forming a high temperature region heating the formed body in the furnace; c) dropping a temperature of one side of the furnace and forming a low temperature region, and forming a temperature gradient region having a temperature gradient at least 2° C./cm and a temperature region of 1050° to 910° C. between the low temperature region and the high temperature region; and d) moving the formed body from the high temperature region toward the low temperature region through the temperature region of 1050° to 910° C. to thereby grow a crystal of a 123 phase of a matrix of the formed body at a speed lower than 0.4 cm/hr from a front end of the formed body to a rear end thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
190 words
A process for the preparation of an oxide superconductor consisting essentially of an oxide of RE (which represents at least one member selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements including Y), Ba and Cu comprising: a) forming a plate-shaped or linear formed body by quenching and solidifying a melt containing said elements of RE, Ba and Cu; b) inserting the formed body into a furnace and forming a high temperature region heating the formed body in the furnace; c) dropping a temperature of one side of the furnace and forming a low temperature region, and forming a temperature gradient region having a temperature gradient at least 2° C./cm and a temperature region of 1050° to 910° C. between the low temperature region and the high temperature region; and d) moving the formed body from the high temperature region toward the low temperature region through the temperature region of 1050° to 910° C. to thereby grow a crystal of a 123 phase of a matrix of the formed body at a speed lower than 0.4 cm/hr from a front end of the formed body to a rear end thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
213 words
A process for the preparation of an oxide superconductor, consisting essentially of an oxide of RE (which represents at least the member selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements including Y), Ba and Cu comprising: a) forming a plate-shaped or linear formed body by quenching and solidifying a melt containing said elements of RE, Ba and Cu; b) raising a temperature of a furnace to a temperature higher than 1050° C.; c) dropping a temperature of one side of the furnace to obtain a temperature gradient of at least 2° C./cm having a temperature region of 1050° C. toward one side of the furnace; d) inserting the formed body toward the one side of the furnace and placing a front end of the formed body in said temperature region near the one side of the furnace; and e) dropping the temperature of the furnace at a rate of less than 0.8° C./hr while maintaining the temperature gradient; whereby, growing a nuclei of a crystal of a 123 phase of a matrix of the formed body from the front end of the formed body to a rear end thereof at a speed lower than 0.4 cm/hr and forming a single crystal of the 123 phase on the whole of the formed body.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
213 words
A process for the preparation of an oxide superconductor, consisting essentially of an oxide of RE (which represents at least the member selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements including Y), Ba and Cu comprising: a) forming a plate-shaped or linear formed body by quenching and solidifying a melt containing said elements of RE, Ba and Cu; b) raising a temperature of a furnace to a temperature higher than 1050° C.; c) dropping a temperature of one side of the furnace to obtain a temperature gradient of at least 2° C./cm having a temperature region of 1050° C. toward one side of the furnace; d) inserting the formed body toward the one side of the furnace and placing a front end of the formed body in said temperature region near the one side of the furnace; and e) dropping the temperature of the furnace at a rate of less than 0.8° C./hr while maintaining the temperature gradient; whereby, growing a nuclei of a crystal of a 123 phase of a matrix of the formed body from the front end of the formed body to a rear end thereof at a speed lower than 0.4 cm/hr and forming a single crystal of the 123 phase on the whole of the formed body.