Manufacture of thermoelectric element

Abstract

Abstract PURPOSE: To obtain a thermoelectric element having high thermo-electromotive force and uniform characteristics by adding adamantane or an adamantane/ trimethylene norbornane mixture to the powder of a metallic alloy and press- molding, sintering and thermally treating these mixture. CONSTITUTION: A specified metallic alloy such as Bi 2 Te 3 , Sb 2 Te 3 , etc., is crushed mechanically or atomized through a high-frequency plasma method, thus manufacturing powder. It is advantageous that fine particles of 500nm or less are synthesized in vapor phase through a plasma method. An adamantane/ trimethylene norbornane mixture is added and mixed to powder. The additive excellently slips off on baking, and the residue of the additive after baking is reduced and the additive is effective for manufacturing a superior porous baked body. These mixture is molded at 0.5∼2ton/cm 2 , and baked at 1000∼1200°C, thus sublimating the additive. A fine-particle molded form through the plasma method is sintered for four to eight hr in 10 -2 Torr. Lastly, the sintered body is treated for several hr at 700∼900°C, thus completing the manufacture of a thermoelectric element. COPYRIGHT: (C)1989,JPO&Japio

Inventors

• 👤 Takashi Uesugi

Bibliographic Details