SYNTHESIS OF STRONTIUM COPPER OXIDE WITH SUBSTITUTION OF RARE EARTH ELEMENTS

In this research have successfully synthesized Sr Eu Cu O superconductors with x are 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20. The synthesis process of Sr 1-x x 1 z 1- Eu Cu O superconductors uses SrCO (99.9%), Eu O (99.9%) and CuO (99.9%) materials. The sample synthesis process uses a wet-mixing x x 1 z 3 2 3 method, wherein the starting material is added strongly HNO acid, then stirred and heated to a crust. The calcination process was carried out at 3 600oC for 3 hours and sintered at 950°C for 3 hours. To know the success of sample synthesis, the first is X-ray diffraction (XRD) characterization to know the phases formed in the sample, lattice parameter values and unit cell volume. Second, the characterization of Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to know particle size and precision of particle composition that have been made. Third, the characterization of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) is done to find out the frequency of vibration that occurs in the sample. The XRD characterization results show a sharp and separate spectrum with each other indicating that there has been a very good crystal formation. The addition of the Eu has resulted decreasing of lattice parameter of a-axis from 3.5828 to 3.5724 Å, lattice parameter of b-axis from 16.3308 to 16.3142 Å and lattice parameter of c-axis from 3.9135 to 3.9083 Å. That is caused ion radius of Eu is smaller than ion radius of Sr. The addition of doping of rare earth elements leads to the growth of new crystals containing rare earth elements with an increasing percentage in accordance with the addition of these elements, that is Sr Eu Cu O compound at an angle 32.5o, in line with a decreasing peak intensity of SrCuO compound at an 1-x x 1 z z angle 31.8o. The result of crystal size of the sample is obtained about 185-213 nm. The addition of the Eu element to the Sr Eu Cu O 1-x x 1 z superconductor causes the particle size to grow smaller. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) characterization results for all samples are shown in Figure 4.15. In general, the results show absorption waves at wave numbers 428.20, 858.32, 1188.15, 1460.11, 1714.72, 2210.42, 2499.75, 2735.06, 3005.10, 3290.56 cm-1.