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A novel method of processing melt-cast BSCCO rods to produce superconductivity with an onset temperature of 80 K is described. Bulk samples with a nominal composition Bi 1.6 Pb 0.4 Sr 2 Ca 3 Cu 4 O y were prepared as rods by a melt-casting process. The application of an electrical field to these rods under certain conditions produced a well-defined hot zone which travelled along the rod from the positive to the negative electrode. On reaching the negative electrode, the zone disappeared and a further zone could be initiated at the positive electrode by a small increase in applied current. Reversing the polarity caused the zone to travel in the opposite direction. Observations of the physical and microstructural properties of material treated in this way suggest a possible alternative processing route for producing superconducting BSCCO materials.