Structural ordering and chemical stability of a complex perovskite oxide DyBa2ZrO5.5 with YBa2Cu3O7-δ superconductors

2 ZrO_5.5 has been synthesized by solid-state reaction. Structural ordering in this material has been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD spectra reveal that DyBa₂ZrO_5.5 has an ordered complex cubic perovskite structure. The presence of superstructure reflections in the XRD spectra is characteristic of A₂BB’O₆-type crystalline structure. The chemical stability of DyBa₂ZrO_5.5 with YBa₂CuO_7-δ (YBCO) superconductors has been studied by XRD and electrical resistivity measurements. These studies show that DyBa₂ZrO_5.5 is chemically stable with YBCO and there is no degradation in the superconducting transition temperature T_c of YBCO even when mixed up to 1:1 vol%, with DyBa₂ZrO_5.5 in YBCO. Detailed study of the superconducting transition region shows that T_c(onset) and T_c(0) values of pure YBCO and YBCO–DyBa₂ZrO_5.5 composites are similar in both cases. The implications are discussed. Accepted: 13 October 1997