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Multiple phase formation and its influence on lattice thermal conductivity in β-Zn4Sb3

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Abstract

The extremely low thermal conductivity (κ) coupled with suitable Seebeck (S) and electrical conductivity (σ) values makes β-Zn4Sb3 a promising candidate for intermediate temperature (200–400 °C) thermogenerator applications. However, the poor thermal stability makes it difficult to reproduce the high thermoelectric figure of merit originally reported for this material.1 Using a combination of surface scanning techniques (Potential Seebeck microprobe, electron backscatter diffraction, and x-ray diffraction), we investigate specimens of β-Zn4Sb3 prepared under different synthesis conditions. Our results indicate the presence of multiple phases of Zn4Sb3 with distinct room temperature S values ranging from 70 to 140 μV/K. Though crystallographically similar, these phases have very different lattice contribution to the thermal conductivity (κL), which vary between 0.45 and 1.0 W/mK and might predominantly reflect the degree of Zn disorder among the different phases.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors thank Mr. W. Schoenau (DLR) for the measurements of thermal diffusivity and specific heat and Mr. Ph. Watermeyer for the EBSD measurements. This work was supported by the Danish Strategic Research Council (Center for Energy Materials).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Materials Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), D-51170, Cologne, Germany

    Titus Dasgupta, Christian Stiewe, Lothar Boettcher, Ralf Hassdorf & Eckhard Mueller

  2. Department of Chemistry and iNANO, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000, Aarhus, Denmark

    Hao Yin & Bo Iversen

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  1. Titus Dasgupta
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  2. Christian Stiewe
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  3. Lothar Boettcher
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  5. Hao Yin
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  7. Eckhard Mueller
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Correspondence to Titus Dasgupta.

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Dasgupta, T., Stiewe, C., Boettcher, L. et al. Multiple phase formation and its influence on lattice thermal conductivity in β-Zn4Sb3. Journal of Materials Research 26, 1925–1932 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2011.116

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