Thermoelectric properties of polycrystalline Zn4Sb3Zn4Sb3 samples prepared by solid state reaction method

Seebeck coefficient S(T)S(T), electrical resistivity ρ(T)ρ(T) and thermal conductivity κ(T)κ(T) measurements on polycrystalline Zn4Sb3Zn4Sb3 compounds grown by solid state reaction method are presented; these transport properties were studied in the temperature range between 100 and 290 K. The Seebeck coefficient is positive over the measured temperature range and its magnitude increases with both temperature and the processing time up to reach values close to 240μV/K. The electrical resistivity shows a weak semiconducting behavior, its magnitude increases with the processing time to reach values around 10mΩcm in the sample annealed during 5 h, then ρ(T)ρ(T) decreases up to 0.5mΩcm. The thermal conductivity shows a linear temperature behavior, at room temperature, it reaches minimum values close to 0.5 W/K m. From ρ(T)ρ(T), S(T)S(T) and κ(T)κ(T) data, it was possible to determine the thermoelectric power factor, PFPF and the dimensionless figure of merit ZTZT, which reach maximum values close to 14μW/K2cm and 0.2, respectively. The behavior of studied transport properties shows that these Zn4Sb3Zn4Sb3 compounds can be prepared by using the solid state reaction method, which could allow to obtain proper samples to be used in technological thermoelectric applications.