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Novel Lead Telluride Based Thermoelectric Materials

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Abstract

PbTe-PbS materials are promising for thermoelectric power generation applications. For the composition of (Pb0.95Sn0.05Te)0.92(PbS)0.08 nanostructuring from nucleation and growth and spinodal decomposition has been reported along with thermal conductivity of approximately 1.1 W/m·K at 650 K [1]. Based on temperature-dependent measurements of electrical conductivity, thermopower, and thermal conductivity, the thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT, are ~1.5 at 650 K for cast ingots.

To develop larger quantities of material for device fabrication, advancement in the synthesis, processing and production of (Pb0.95Sn0.05Te)0.92(PbS)0.08 is necessary. Powder processing of samples is a well-known technique for increasing sample strength, and uniformity. In this presentation, we show sample fabrication and processing details of pulsed electric current sintering (PECS) processed (Pb0.95Sn0.05Te)0.92(PbS)0.08 materials and their thermoelectric properties along with the latest advancements in the preparation of these materials.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Michigan State University, 48824, East Lansing, MI, U.S.A.

    Chun-I Wu & P. Hogan Timothy

  2. Chemistry Department, Northwestern University, USA

    N. Girard Steven, Joe Sootsman & G. Kanatzidis Mercouri

  3. Mechanical Engineering Department, Michigan State University, 48824, East Lansing, MI, U.S.A.

    Edward Timm & Harold Schock

  4. Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, 48824, East Lansing, MI, U.S.A.

    D. Case Eldon & P. Hogan Timothy

  5. Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, USA

    G. Kanatzidis Mercouri & Duck Young Chung

Authors
  1. Chun-I Wu
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  2. N. Girard Steven
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  3. Joe Sootsman
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  4. Edward Timm
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  5. D. Case Eldon
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  6. G. Kanatzidis Mercouri
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  7. Harold Schock
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  8. Duck Young Chung
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  9. P. Hogan Timothy
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Wu, CI., Steven, N.G., Sootsman, J. et al. Novel Lead Telluride Based Thermoelectric Materials. MRS Online Proceedings Library 1314, 1009 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1557/opl.2011.517

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/opl.2011.517

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