By using solid state ceramic synthesis technique, we have produced high-Tc
superconducting ceramics with a fixed nominal composition of Bi1.7Pb0.3Sr2Ca2Cu3Oy
(BSCCO). Annealing treatments in air at 800 °C for different time periods from 6 to
30 h were carried out for the BSCCO samples. The influence of annealing time on the
superconducting and mechanical properties were examined by measurements of
thermoelectric power (TEP), X-ray diffraction, surface morphology, bulk density and
Vickers microhardness (V H N). The results reveal that the most appropriate annealing
time to obtain the highest peak intensity of high-Tc phase (2223), highest and sharpest
transition temperature ($T^0_{\rm c}$), maximum value of density and maximum of V H N is 18 h.
Prolongation of the annealing time was associated with a reduction of all these
parameters. These observations show that the annealing treatment plays an important
role for producing consolidate superconducting compounds with improved
mechanical properties.