Effect of hot-consolidation method on the superconducting properties of B- and C-doped FeSe0.5Te0.5

The effect of hot consolidation method on the microstructures and superconducting properties of FeSe0.5Te0.5 (+B, C) was examined. FeSe0.5Te0.5 (+B, C) compounds were prepared by four different hot-consolidation methods: in-situ sintering, infra-red radiation sintering, hot-pressing and spark plasma sintering. The results showed that, among the employed consolidation methods, the spark plasma sintering is the most effective processing route for enhancing the critical current density due to enhanced densification. The doping of B or C also increased the critical density of FeSe0.5Te0.5, in particular, for spark plasma sintered specimens, but its beneficial effect was less pronounced for the specimens prepared by the other methods.