JOURNAL OF SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND NOVEL MAGNETISM, vol.27, no.10, pp.2241-2247, 2014 (SCI-Expanded)
MgB2 bulk superconductors were prepared by hot press plus furnace heating method. Two types of boron powders were used, one is amorphous nano boron and the other is C-doped boron. Characteristics of superconductors were determined by XRD and resistance measurements. Systematic levitation force measurements were performed by using a modular system at low temperatures. These bulk superconductors showed around 9 N repulsive and 4 N attractive forces in the z-axis at 20 K at closest point to the cryostat lid which contains the MgB2 superconductor. These values slightly decreased by increasing temperature to 24 and 28 K for both samples. Comparing two samples, nano boron MgB2 showed slightly higher levitation force than C-doped MgB2 although C-doped MgB2 has higher attractive force value at the closest point. This situation points out that C-doped MgB2 is much proper for attractive force applications (as guidance force) while the nanoboron MgB2 sample is much appropriate for repulsive force (as levitation).