Hostname: page-component-5c6d5d7d68-wp2c8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-19T08:07:35.788Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Thermoelectric Properties of Nearly Single-Phase Half-Heusler NbCoSn Alloys and Importance of Microstructures for Improving Performance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Yoshisato Kimura
Affiliation:
kimura.y.ac@m.titech.ac.jp, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Materials Science and Engineering, 4259-G3-23 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8502, Japan
Yukio Tamura
Affiliation:
tamura@materia.titech.ac.jp, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Materials Science and Engineering, 4259-G3-23 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8502, Japan
Takuji Kita
Affiliation:
kita@takuji.tec.toyota.co.jp, Toyota Motor Corporation, 1200 Mishuku,, Susono, Shizuoka, 410-1193, Japan
Get access

Abstract

In order to evaluate the thermoelectric properties of n-type half-Heusler compound NbCoSn, single-phase NbCoSn alloy was prepared using directional solidification based on the phase diagram information of the Nb-Co-Sn ternary system which was investigated in this work. The isotherm at 1273 K and the reaction scheme together with the projection of liquidus surface were determined. Thermoelectric properties of NbCoSn based alloys were evaluated by Seebeck coefficient, electrical resistivity and power factor, which were measured in a temperature range from room temperature to 1073 K. NbCoSn has excellent values of Seebeck coefficient exceeding -250 μV/K at around 900 K and shows the metal-like temperature dependence of electrical resistivity.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Hayashi, Y., Kim, S.-W., Kimura, Y. and Mishima, Y., Proc. of TMS Symp. on Advanced Materials for Energy Conversion II, TMS, Warrendale PA, 367 (2004).Google Scholar
2. Ono, Y., Inayama, S., Adachi, H. and Kajitani, T., Proc. of 25th Intnl. Conf. on Thermoelectrics, edited by Rogl, P.L., (IEEE, piscataway, NJ, 2006), pp. 124127.Google Scholar
3. Aliev, F. G., Brandt, N. B., Moshchalkov, V. V., Kozyrkov, V. V., Skolozdra, R. V. and Belogorokhov, A. I., Z. Phys. B: Condens. Matter. 75, 167 (1989).Google Scholar
4. Kimura, Y., Kuji, T., Zama, A., Shibata, Y. in Materials and Technologies for Direct Thermal-to-Electric Energy Conversion, edited by Yang, J., Hogan, T., Funahashi, R., Nolas, G.S., (Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 886, Pittsburgh PA, 2006) pp. 331337.Google Scholar
5. Kimura, Y. and Zama, A., Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 172110 (2006),.Google Scholar
6. Kimura, Y., Kuji, T., Zama, A., Lee, T. and Mishima, Y. in Advanced Intermetallic-Based Alloys, edited by Wiezorek, J., Fu, C.L., Takeyama, M., Morris, D. and Clemens, H., (Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 980, Pittsburgh PA, 2007) pp. 211217.Google Scholar
7. Uher, C., J, Yang, Hu, S., Morelli, D. T. and Meisner, G. P., Phys. Rev. B 59, 8615 (1999).Google Scholar
8. Hohl, H., Ramirez, A., Goldmann, C. and Ernst, G., J. Phys.: Condens. Mater. 11, 1697 (1999).Google Scholar
9. Tritt, T. M., Bhattacharya, S., Xia, Y., Ponnambalam, V., Poon, S. J. and Thadhani, N., Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 43 (2002).Google Scholar
10. Sakurada, S. and Shutoh, N., Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 082105 (2005).Google Scholar
11. Desk Handbook Phase Diagrams for Binary Alloys, edited by Okamoto, H., (ASM Intnl., Materials Park OH, 2000), p. 253, p. 259, p. 602.Google Scholar