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The pyrolysis of Y(CF3COO)3·nH2O at temperatures up to 1,000 °C, under flowing pure Ar, O2 and O2 saturated with water vapour, was extensively analysed. The formation of HF is observed directly and the existence of a :CF2 diradical is inferred during a trifluoroacetic acid salt decomposition. High resolution thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy indicated that the exothermic one-stage decomposition of the anhydrate salt occurs at 267 °C, forming YF3. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy identified (CF3CO)2O, CF3COF, COF2, CO2 and CO as the principal volatile species; and revealed the influence of water on the reactions liberating gaseous CF3COOH, CHF3, HF, and SiF4 (from reactions with glass or quartz components). NO2 and N2O evolution suggested that traces of CH3NO2 were present in the starting material. Thermogravimetry and X-ray diffractometry indicated that the slow hydrolysis of the fluoride occurs between 630 and 655 °C, forming a mixture of Y2O3, YOF, Y7O6F9, and YF3. The decomposition and hydrolysis temperatures are significantly lower than previously reported, which has implications for sol–gel processing.

Recent results on powder-in-tube in situ Cu-sheathed MgB2 wires have shown that copper powder additions to the core can accelerate the formation of MgB2, increasing its volume fraction and greatly decreasing the amount of Mg–Cu intermetallic phases present in the core after heat treatment. The amount of added copper and heat treatment conditions strongly affect the critical current of the wire and require optimization. To identify the optimum parameters, eight wires with starting core compositions of Mg+2B+xCu with x = 0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07, 0.09, 0.12 and 0.15 were prepared with two heating ramp rates and their properties were investigated by SEM, XRD and Jc and n-value measurements. The highest Jc was found to be for x = 0.09, whereas x = 0.03 resulted in the highest n-value. The results are relatively independent of the heating ramp rate used for heat treatment.