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Trapped magnetic flux density of melt-grown YBaCuO bulk superconductors was evaluated. A single-grained disc-shaped bulk sample with a size of 45 mmφ×15 mm trapped very high magnetic flux density after field cooling. One disc trapped a maximum surface flux density of 0.72 T, while the maximum of double-piled discs was 1.35 T after 100 seconds. A polygrained sample showed a much lower maximum. The pinning potential of this single-grained disc was 0.17 eV, and the overall critical current density estimated from the trapped flux density was about 7×103 A/cm2. Since these values are lower than those of a small-sized sample, weak links are still expected to exist even in the single-grained sample. Domain structure within a grain is a strong candidate for this weak link.

Platinum addition in precursors of melt processing could produce finely dispersed Y2BaCuO5 (211) inclusions of about 1 µm in YBa2Cu3O x matrix. This fine dispersion of 211 resembles that of quench-and-melt-grown materials. The platinum-added sample exhibited a critical current density exceeding 2×104A/cm2 at 77 K and 1 T. Platinum is considered to enhance the nucleation of 211 which forms by the pertitectic reaction between Y2O3 and liquid phase.

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Critical current densities in superconducting Y-Ba-Cu-O specimens with different sizes of 211 particles prepared by the melt process were measured under various magnetic fields and temperatures. Discussion is given on the flux pinning properties by 211 particles and background pinning centers. At temperatures above 60 K, 211 particles are expected to be dominant pinning centers. A rapid degradation of the critical current density with elevating temperature at low temperatures below 25 K seems to be attributed to weak links in specimens.