Synthesis and densification of Hg(Re)-1223 superconductors

The synthesis and simultaneous densification of Hg(Re)-Ba-Ca-Cu-O with nominal composition 1223, was performed by the sealed quartz tube technique from a mixture of the binary oxides which reacted with an internal mercury source of HgO or an external source of HgCaO2 and directly through "reactive sintering" by hotisostatic pressing from simple oxides or superconducting Hg-1223 powders canned in silver tubes. The microstructure, phase phurity and density of these samples have been compared. Magnetic characterisation was carried out and correlated to final density.