Thermoelectric and Transport Properties of Permingeatite Cu3SbSe4 Prepared Using Mechanical Alloying and Hot Pressing

Permingeatite (Cu3SbSe4) is a promising thermoelectric material because it has a narrow band gap, large carrier effective mass, and abundant and nontoxic components. Mechanical alloying (MA), which is a high-energy ball mill process, has various advantages, e.g., segregation/evaporation is not required and homogeneous powders can be prepared in a short time. In this study, the effects of MA and hot-pressing (HP) conditions on the synthesis of the Cu3SbSe4 phase and its thermoelectric properties were evaluated. The electrical conductivity decreased with increasing HP temperature, while the Seebeck coefficient increased. The power factor (PF) was 0.38-0.50 mW m(-1) K-2 and the thermal conductivity was 0.76-0.78 W m(-1) K-1 at 623 K. The dimensionless figure of merit, ZT, increased with increasing temperature, and a reliable and maximum ZT value of 0.39 was obtained at 623 K for Cu3SbSe4 prepared using MA at 350 rpm for 12 h and HP at 573 K for 2 h.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the effects of mechanical alloying and hot-pressing conditions on the Cu3SbSe4 phase and its thermoelectric properties, finding that the electrical conductivity decreased with increasing hot-pressing temperature, while the Seebeck coefficient increased. At 623K, the power factor ranged from 0.38 to 0.50 mW m(-1) K(-2), and the thermal conductivity was between 0.76 and 0.78 W m(-1) K(-1).