Processing for High Critical Currents in YBa sub 2 Cu sub 3 O sub (7-delta)

Melt-textured-growth of polycrystalline YBa sub 2 Cu sub 3 O sub (7-delta) superconductor created a new microstructure which exhibited significantly improved transport J sub c values at 77K of ` 17,000 A/cm sup 2 in zero field and `4000 A/cm sup 2 at H = 1 tesla. The severe field dependence of J sub c typically seen in sintered materials ("weak-link" problem) was no longer evident in the melt-processed material.