Mechanical properties of Sm-Ba-Cu-O/Ag bulk superconductors

We studied the mechanical properties of melt-processed, single-grain, Ag-doped, Sm-Ba-Cu-O bulks with different densities. The tensile strength of the dense sample was 48.0 MPa and about 1.3 times larger than that of the porous sample with Ag and twice as large as that of the sample without Ag doping. The bending strength of the dense sample was estimated to be 137 MPa based on the Weibull distribution function and the effective volume of the samples. It was found that a reduction in the pore density and Ag addition were effective in increasing the mechanical strength of the Sm-Ba-Cu-O bulk.