Water action on Bi-based superconductor cuprates. II. Chemical behavior

Infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis have shown two aspects of water action on bismuth cuprates: on one hand, a water molecule fixation on the substrate and, on the other hand, the nature and the evolution of 2212 compound degradation products. These observations can be connected with those described in Part I of this paper. Calcium hydroxide appears first and then strontium hydroxide, which undergoes a further hydration.