Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 February 2011
High temperature neutron powder diffraction has been used to study the formation of the 110K transition temperature material, Bi2Ca2Sr2Cu3Ox (2223), both from synthetic reaction mixtures and after partial melting. The results indicate that the 80K transition temperature material, Bi2CaSr2Cu2Ox (2122), is the precursor to the (2223) material. The reaction to form the (2122) occurs rapidly at 860°C, while the conversion of this material to the (2223) is much slower.