Additively-Manufactured YBCO Superconductor

Due to its brittleness, the high-temperature superconducting cuprate YBa₂Cu₃O_7-xis currently manufactured in simple shapes (e.g., thin films or pellets) as complex 3D architectures are very difficult to achieve. Here, we show that 3D ink-printing (an additive manufacturing method) can fabricate cuprate superconductors with complex 3D architectures and high performance. An ink is first created with Y₂O₃, BaCO₃, and CuO submicron powders of various shapes. The ink is extruded layer by layer to form green parts, which are then sintered to achieve YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x with high density. The isothermal sintering and subsequent slow cooling prevent the formation of cracks induced by thermal shock, which are always found in laser-beam-based additive methods. 3D ink-printing is demonstrated for various YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x items: horizontal and toroidal coils, magnetic shielding tubes, and Origami folded objects.