Abstract: | Growth of lead-doped textured Bi-cuprate, using an immersed heater floating zone (TSFZ) apparatus, from a narrow supercooled melt created an essentially dense structure consisting of locally aligned long platelet crystal grains. The extended grains have their long axes parallel to the growth axis with a low angle misorientation. The effect of gas bubbles and the pulling rates on the microstructure and superconducting transition temperature of the textured boules have been studied. The decomposing nature of the 2223 phase on melting leads to form the energetically favourable low Tc 2212 phase. |