Patent ID: 6960554

Claim:
A method of making a (Bi,Pb) 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O x (BSCCO 2223) oxide superconductor article, comprising: converting a textured oxide superconducting precursor into a BSCCO 2223 oxide superconductor, wherein at least 80 vol % of the oxide superconductor precursor is converted into BSCCO 2223; liquid phase sintering of the BSCCO 2223 oxide superconductor wherein the sintering step comprises the steps of: (a) heating at a first temperature, and (b) annealing the BSCCO 2223 oxide superconductor at a temperature less than the first temperature; cooling the oxide superconductor article to less than or equal to 600° C.; and subjecting the oxide superconductor article to an additional heat treatment at a temperature in the range of about 600° C. to about 830° C. under conditions selected to decompose remaining secondary phases at the oxide superconducting grain boundary or within the oxide superconductor grain and to convert the secondary phases into the BSCCO 2223 oxide superconducting phase.