We have investigated the crystal growth and superconducting properties of c-axis oriented (Y0.5Sm0.25Nd0.25)Ba2Cu30Oy[(YSN)-123] composite oxides by a top-seeded melt growth (TSMG) process in air. A melt-textured NdBa2Cu3Oy (Nd-123) single crystal was used as a seed for achieving the c-axis(001) alignment of large grains perpendicular to the surface of a (YSN)-123 composite. A sample prepared by this method showed a well-textured microstructure, and (Y(0.5)sSm(0.25)Nd(0.25))(2)BaCuO5 [(YSN)211] nonsuperconducting particles were uniformly dispersed in large (YSN)123 superconducting matrix grains. The melt-textured (YSN)-123 sample showed an onset of the superconducting transition (T,) at 93 K. The magnetization hysteresis (M-H) values (300 emu/cm(3) at 4 T and 60 K) of the (YSN)-123 sample exhibited enhanced flux pinning, compared with a (RE0.5Y0.5)Ba2Cu3Oy [(BEY)-123, RE: Sm, Nd] sample.

Keywords: (Y0.5Sm0.25Nd0.25)Ba2Cu3Oy; NdBa2Cu3Oy; single crystal; top-seeded melt growth; (Y0.5Sm0.25Nd0.25)(2)BaCuO5; (RE0.5Y0.5)Ba2Cu3Oy magnetization