Formation mechanism study of REBa2Cu4O8+δ (RE=Y and Dy) accelerated by nitric acid

Abstract
An accelerated formation of REBa2Cu4O8+δ (RE=Y and Dy) was observed as a suitable amount of nitric acid was added. This provides an excellent route for preparing high‐ purity REBa2Cu4O8+δ in ∼ 30 h. X‐ray diffraction and thermal analyses (TGA/DTA) were conducted to reveal the formation mechanism. The addition of nitric acid did not change the reaction routes but formed more Ba2Cu3O5 which might play an important role for the formation of REBa2Cu4O8+δ. Magnetization data confirmed the Tc’s of 80 and 75 K for as‐prepared Y‐124 and Dy‐124, respectively.