Thermoelectric Properties of Bi2Te3 Alloy Prepared by Mechanical Alloying and Spark Plasma Sintering
The Bi2Te3 compound was synthesized by mechanical alloying (MA) of highly pure constituents of Bi and Te powders, and then was consolidated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) method. The MA-derived alloy formation was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the microstructure change was investigated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thermoelectric properties were measured using a Seebeck Coefficient/Electrical Resistance Measuring System. The influence of MA time on the thermoelectric properties of the SPS-sintered samples was investigated to find the optimal MA condition for the powder synthesis and thermoelectric properties. The obtained results showed that the sample with the MA time of 6 h exhibited the optimal electrical transport properties. The maximum power factor of over 2.0 × 10-3 W/m K2 was obtained between 323 K and 423 K.