Thermoelectric properties of tungsten-substituted Heusler Fe2VAl alloy

A Heusler Fe2V1-xWxAl sintered alloy was synthesized to evaluate the effect of W substitution on thermoelectric properties of the Heusler alloy. The Seebeck coefficient and the electrical conductivity are simultaneously enhanced through electron injection resulting from the W substitution. Comparison with the Si-substituted Fe2VAl alloy reveals that the additional electronic states derived from W 5d orbital in the vicinity of pseudogap are likely to degrade the Seebeck coefficient. Thermal conductivity is effectively reduced by the W substitution because of the large atomic mass and volume of W compared to the constituent elements of Fe2VAl alloy. The appreciable reduction of thermal conductivity, without a serious deterioration in electrical conduction, enhances the thermoelectric figure of merit in the Heusler alloy. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4710990]