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Rapid synthesis of high-performance thermoelectric materials directly from natural mineral tetrahedrite

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 July 2013

Xu Lu  and
Donald T. Morelli
Xu Lu
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
Donald T. Morelli*
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824; Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
*
Address all correspondence to Donald T. Morelli atdmorelli@egr.msu.edu
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Abstract

Tetrahedrite-structure compounds, of general composition Cu12−xZnxSb4S13, are an earth-abundant alternative to PbTe for thermoelectric power generation applications in the intermediate high-temperature range (300–400°C). Tetrahedrites can be synthesized in the laboratory using a multi-step process involving long annealing times. However, this compound also exists in natural mineral form, and, in fact, is one of the most abundant copper-bearing minerals in the world. We show here that by simply mixing natural mineral tetrahedrite with pure elements through high-energy ball milling without any further heat treatment, we can successfully obtain material with figure of merit near unity at 723 K.

Type
Research Letters
Information
MRS Communications , Volume 3 , Issue 3 , September 2013 , pp. 129 - 133
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2013 

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