Bulk higher manganese silicide thermoelectric materials and modules

P-type higher manganese silicides (HMS) thermoelectric (TE) materials are very promising candidates for high temperature power generation application due to their low cost, environmental-friendliness and high reliability. In this paper, recent development on synthesis and thermoelectric properties of bulk HMS are reviewed placing emphasis on their synthesis by mechanical alloying and melting, as well as the phase transformation in nanostructured process. Numerical simulation of the p-HMS/n-Mg2(Si,Sn) thermoelectric module is introduced, revealing more than 8% thermal-electrical conversion efficiency, which agrees well with the measurement of the real module. Considering the possibility of further optimizing the TE properties, HMS are competitive intermediate and high temperature p-type TE materials for industrial development compared with the state-of-the-art ones.