Improved iodometric method for simultaneous determination of non-stoichiometric oxygen and total copper content in YBCO superconductors

Some improvements with regard to the iodometric method for the determination of the total copper and non-stoichiometric oxygen (or Cu3+) content in YBa2Cu3Oy superconductors were made. A potentiometric end-point determination with Pt wire electrode was introduced, and a higher concentration of KI was used in order to avoid precipitation of CuI. The two ways for calculating the oxygen coefficient γ and the possibility for detecting changes of the sample, with consequent differences in stoichiometry, were discussed.