[en] This article reports on the role of annealing on the development of microstructure and its concomitant effects on the thermoelectric 18 lead-antimony-silver- tellurium, LAST-18) compounds. The annealing temperature was varied by applying a gradient annealing method, where a 40-mm-long sample rod was heat treated in an axial temperature gradient spanning between 200 and 600 degrees C for 7 days. Transmission electron microscopy investigations revealed Ag2Te nanoparticles at a size of 20-250 nm in the matrix. A remarkable reduction in the thermal conductivity to as low as 0.8W/mK was also recorded. The low thermal conductivity coupled with a large Seebeck coefficient of similar to 320 mu V/K led to high ZT of about 1.05 at 425 degrees C for the sample annealed at 505 degrees C. These results also demonstrate that samples annealed above 450 degrees C for long term are more thermally stable than those treated at lower temperatures.
Disciplines :
Physics
Author, co-author :
Dadda, Jayaram; Dadda, J (Reprint Author), German Aerosp Ctr DLR, Inst Mat Res, D-51170 Cologne, Germany.. Dadda, Jayaram
Mueller, Eckhard; Mueller, Eckhard, German Aerosp Ctr DLR, Inst Mat Res, D-51170 Cologne, Germany. Perlt, Susanne
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