Thermoelectric properties of p-type antimony bismuth telluride alloys prepared by cold pressing

Abstract Sb 2 − x Bi x Te 3 (x = 0.43–0.51) thermoelectric materials were prepared by the powder metallurgy method. The effects of grinding and sintering processes on the Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, and thermoelectric figure of merit were investigated. For different particle sizes, a shift in maximum of Z = f(x) dependence was found. This shift can be explained by the presence of point defects and their interaction. Cold-pressed material with Z ~ 3.1 × 10 −3 K −1 was prepared.