Journal article

On the influence of AgMg precursor formation on MgAgSb microstructure and thermoelectric properties


Authors listRodriguez-Barber, Ignacio; Camut, Julia; Luhmann, Laura; Cowley, Aidan; Mueller, Eckhard; de Boor, Johannes

Publication year2021

JournalJournal of Alloys and Compounds

Volume number860

ISSN0925-8388

eISSN1873-4669

Open access statusGreen

DOI Linkhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2020.158384

PublisherElsevier


Abstract
alpha-MgAgSb has been identified as promising thermoelectric material, with peak performance around 300 degrees C, filling the gap between low- and high-temperature thermoelectric materials. The complexity of the Mg-Ag-Sb phase diagram and the sensitivity of the MgAg-Sb synthesis process often leads to impurities appearing in the final samples, which reduce the thermoelectric figure of merit zT. Using a two-step ball milling process, we show that the extent of the AgMg precursor formation has a direct effect on the final composition, mainly with respect to the dyscrasite (Ag3Sb) content. We study how extending the first ball milling step, adding a AgMg sintering step before the second ball milling step or reducing the Ag particle size each affect the overall formation of AgMg. It is shown that lower Ag wt% in said precursor results in lower Ag3Sb content in the final samples, achieving < 1 wt% Ag3Sb when Ag < 1 wt% (in the precursor). This leads to a 23% improvement of zT between 300 and 563 K and a peak value of similar to 1.2 at 500 K. This shows that the complete conversion of Mg and Ag into AgMg is the key for high performance alpha-MgAgSb. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.



Citation Styles

Harvard Citation styleRodriguez-Barber, I., Camut, J., Luhmann, L., Cowley, A., Mueller, E. and de Boor, J. (2021) On the influence of AgMg precursor formation on MgAgSb microstructure and thermoelectric properties, Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 860, Article 158384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2020.158384

APA Citation styleRodriguez-Barber, I., Camut, J., Luhmann, L., Cowley, A., Mueller, E., & de Boor, J. (2021). On the influence of AgMg precursor formation on MgAgSb microstructure and thermoelectric properties. Journal of Alloys and Compounds. 860, Article 158384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2020.158384



Keywords


Impurities in semiconductorsMechanical alloyingSinteringThermoelectric materials

Last updated on 2025-10-06 at 11:21