EBSD characterisation of Y₂Ba₄CuUO_x phase in melttextured YBCO with addition of depleted uranium oxide

Melt-textured YBCO samples processed with added Y₂O₃ and depleted uranium oxide (DU) contain nano-particles, which have been identified previously as Y₂Ba₄CuUO_x (U-411). This phase has a cubic unit cell, which is clearly distinct from the orthorhombic Y-123 and Y-211 phases within the YBCO system. In samples with a high amount of DU addition (0.8 wt-% DU), U-2411 particles have sizes between 200 nm and several νm, so identification of the Kikuchi patterns of this phase becomes possible. Together with a parallel EDX analysis, the particles embedded in the Y-123 matrix can be identified unambiguously. In this way, a three-phase EBSD scan becomes possible, allowing also the identification of nanometre-sized particles in the sample microstructure.