Comparative analysis of Tb and Zn doping effects on the microstructural and mechanical properties of YBCO-123 and YBCO-358 superconductors

ÖZTÜRK, Özgür; Güdücü, G.; AŞIKUZUN TOKEŞER, Elif; Kurnaz, S.; Seydioglu, T.; Yildirim, G.; Safran, S.

doi:10.1016/j.cryogenics.2025.104236

Comparative analysis of Tb and Zn doping effects on the microstructural and mechanical properties of YBCO-123 and YBCO-358 superconductors

Yazarlar (7)

Prof. Dr. Özgür ÖZTÜRK Kastamonu Üniversitesi, Türkiye

G. Güdücü
Kastamonu Üniversitesi, Türkiye

Doç. Dr. Elif AŞIKUZUN TOKEŞER Kastamonu Üniversitesi, Türkiye

S. Kurnaz
Kastamonu Üniversitesi, Türkiye

T. Seydioglu
Kastamonu Üniversitesi, Türkiye

G. Yildirim
Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi, Türkiye

S. Safran
Ankara Üniversitesi, Türkiye

Makale Türü	Özgün Makale (SSCI, AHCI, SCI, SCI-Exp dergilerinde yayınlanan tam makale)
Dergi Adı	Cryogenics (Q2)
Dergi ISSN	0011-2275 Wos Dergi Scopus Dergi
Dergi Tarandığı Indeksler	SCI-Expanded
Makale Dili	Türkçe	Basım Tarihi	12-2025
Cilt / Sayı / Sayfa	152 / 1 / –	DOI	10.1016/j.cryogenics.2025.104236
Makale Linki	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cryogenics.2025.104236
UAK Araştırma Alanları	Süper İletken Malzemeler Yarı İletken Malzemeler

Özet

In this study, the microstructural and mechanical properties of copper-based superconducting systems synthesized via the sol–gel method-namely Y1-xTbxBa2Cu3O7-δ, Y1Ba2Cu3-xZnxO7-δ, Y3-xTbxBa5Cu8O18-δ, and Y3Ba5Cu8-xZnxO18-δ were comparatively investigated to evaluate the effects of varying concentrations of terbium (Tb) and zinc (Zn) dopants on the structural integrity, crystal quality, and micromechanical strength of both Y1-xTbxBa2Cu3O7-δ and Y3-xTbxBa5Cu8O18-δ superconducting phases. X-ray diffraction (XRD) assessed crystal structure, phase purity, and dopant effects, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterized particle size distribution, surface morphology, porosity, and potential phase separation. Vickers microhardness (Hv) testing quantified micromechanical behavior under varying dopant concentrations. Results show that Zn and Tb substitutions influence crystal structure and mechanical strength differently depending on dopant level and superconductor type. Optimized doping enhanced phase purity, lattice stability, microstructural coherence, and hardness, whereas excessive doping caused lattice distortions, defect clustering, oxygen ordering instabilities, and partial phase separation. Y1-xTbxBa2Cu3O7-δ ceramics exhibited superior tolerance to both dopants, with improved crystallinity, grain connectivity, and mechanical robustness at higher concentrations. In contrast, the Y3-xTbxBa5Cu8O18-δ ceramic structure was more sensitive to doping, showing benefits only at low levels and significant structural degradation at higher levels, explaining the preference for the Y1-xTbxBa2Cu3O7-δ phase in substitution studies. Analysis of load-independent Vickers hardness in plateau regions indicated that the Indentation-Induced Cracking (IIC) model most accurately described mechanical behavior. Consequently, precise optimization of dopant type and concentration is essential to achieving high structural integrity and mechanical performance, making these YBCO-based superconductors promising candidates for advanced energy and technological applications.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Science Direct

BM Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Amaçları

Atıf Sayıları
Scopus	1

Comparative analysis of Tb and Zn doping effects on the microstructural and mechanical properties of YBCO-123 and YBCO-358 superconductors

Dergi Adı	CRYOGENICS
Yayıncı	Elsevier Ltd
Açık Erişim	Hayır
ISSN	0011-2275
E-ISSN	1879-2235
CiteScore	3,6
SJR	0,507
SNIP	1,136

Comparative analysis of Tb and Zn doping effects on the microstructural and mechanical properties of YBCO-123 and YBCO-358 superconductors

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