Application of spark plasma sintering to the fabrication of binary and ternary skutterudites

Spark plasma sintering (SPS) synthesis of CoSb3 and LaFe4Sb12 from ball-milled elemental metal powders has been performed obtaining samples with high relative densities (∼99%). Fracture behaviour, the microstructure and mechanical properties were studied. From ultrasound and nano-indentation measurements, Young's moduli of 148 GPa for CoSb3 and 141 GPa for LaFe4Sb12 were deduced. SPS has been also applied to compact alkali metal and alkaline-earth metal iron antimonides with filled skutterudite structure.