Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 January 2011
Transparent organic analogues were directionally solidified to investigate, via in situ observation the peritectic reaction occurring in the YBa2Cu3O7−x (YBCO)-superconductor system. Nucleation and growth of peritectic and properitectic phases were examined with respect to similarities with the solidification of the YBCO superconductor. The selected organic system, salicylic acid-acetamide, turned out to match the requirements concerning crystal shape, small nucleation rate of the peritectic phase on the properitectic phase, existence of stoichiometric phases with no solubility limits, and undercooling ability of the peritectic phase. Several features of YBCO growth which were previously deduced only from metallographic cross sections could be verified by direct observation. The organic analogue system will also be used in the future to improve numerical simulations.