Effect of Rare-earth Doping on the Thermoelectric Properties of the Tin-based Half-Heusler Alloys

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1077.2010.00573

Abstract

Abstract: Intermetallic compounds Zr_1-xLa_xNiSn (x = 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) and Zr_0.98R_0.02NiSn_0.98X_0.02(R = La, Ce; X=Sb, Bi) were synthesized using arc melting and spark plasma sintering (SPS) techniques. The changes of their crystal structures were analyzed by using X-ray diffractometer. Thermoelectric properties were evaluated in the temperature range of 300 to 925 K. For x≤0.15, single-phase samples can be obtained. With x > 0.15, a non-half-heusler phase formed. The content of the second phase increases with x. For the samples with x≤0.15, rare-earth doping can effectively reduce the thermal conductivity while keeping good electrical transport. The maximum value of ZT was obtained in Zr_0.98La_0.02NiSn_0.98Sb_0.02, which reaches 0.5 at 575K.

Key words: thermoelectric properties, ZrNiSn, CeNiSn, half-Heusler, rare-earth

CLC Number:

TB34

LI Xiao-Guang, HUO De-Xuan, HE Cai-Jun, ZHAO Shi-Chao, Lü Yan-Fei. Effect of Rare-earth Doping on the Thermoelectric Properties of the Tin-based Half-Heusler Alloys[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2010, 25(6): 573-576.

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