Abstract

This work investigated the effects of adding Zn_0.5Ni_0.5Fe₂O₄ nanoparticles in (Bi, Pb)-2223 superconductor. The conventional solid-state reaction method was used to create (Zn_0.5Ni_0.5Fe₂O₄)_x(Bi, Pb)-2223 composites (0.00 ≤ x < 0.40 wt. %). X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed the main phase of the tetragonal (Bi, Pb)-2223. The morphology and elemental contents of the produced samples were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). When compared to the pure (Bi, Pb)-2223 sample, EDX verified that adding Zn_0.5Ni_0.5Fe₂O₄ to the superconductor improved the adsorption of saltwater components. Vickers microhardness (Hv) was measured at room temperature for 30 seconds with different applied forces (0.49 to 9.80 N) and different durations of the saltwater immersion (2, 6, 12, and 24 hours). Hv increased with increasing the immersion time in seawater from 2 to 24 hours. An optimum improvement (69.08%) was obtained for an addition of 0.04 wt. % of Zn_0.5Ni_0.5Fe₂O₄, where Hv values increased from 0.524 GPa to 0.886 GPa. With a deviation of less than 5%, the indentation-induced cracking (IIC) model provided the best theoretical analysis at the plateau limit region for measurements made before and after immersion in seawater.

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