Thermomagnetic Materials: Thermomagnetic Properties Improved by Self-Organized Flower-Like Phase Separation of Ferromagnetic Co2Dy0.5Mn0.5Sn (Adv. Funct. Mater. 9/2012)

Phase separation as a key to a thermoelectric high efficiency

This work elucidates the possible reasons for the outstanding, but never reproduced thermoelectric properties of the doped Ti(0.5)Zr(0.25)Hf(0.25)NiSn Heusler compounds. The structural investigations done via synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements and scanning electron microscope measurements, which clearly show that the microstructure consists of three temperature stable C1(b) phases with possible semi-coherent interfaces, are presented. The exceptional thermoelectric properties are due to this intrinsic phase separation. It is possible to reproduce the high Figure of Merit values with ZT = 1.2 at 830 K. Furthermore, the influence of doping different elements on the Sn position in this…

Highly Efficient Thermoelectric Heusler Materials

Thermomagnetic Properties Improved by Self-Organized Flower-Like Phase Separation of Ferromagnetic Co2Dy0.5Mn0.5Sn

A thermodynamically stable phase separation of Co2Dy0.5Mn0.5Sn into the Heusler compound Co2MnSn and Co8Dy3Sn4 is induced by rapid cooling from the liquid phase. The phase separation forms an ordered flower-like structure on the microscale. The increased scattering of phonons at the phase boundaries reduces the thermal conductivity and thus improves thermoelectric and spincaloric properties.

Iron-based Heusler compounds Fe2YZ: Comparison with theoretical predictions of the crystal structure and magnetic properties

The present work reports on the new soft ferromagnetic Heusler phases Fe${}_{2}$NiGe, Fe${}_{2}$CuGa, and Fe${}_{2}$CuAl, which in previous theoretical studies have been predicted to exist in a tetragonal Heusler structure. Together with the known phases Fe${}_{2}$CoGe and Fe${}_{2}$NiGa these materials have been synthesized and characterized by powder x-ray diffraction, ${}^{57}$Fe M\"ossbauer spectroscopy, superconducting quantum interference device, and energy-dispersive x-ray measurements. In particular M\"ossbauer spectroscopy was used to monitor the degree of local atomic order/disorder and to estimate magnetic moments at the Fe sites from the hyperfine fields. It is shown that in con…

Electronic structure and optical, mechanical, and transport properties of the pure, electron-doped, and hole-doped Heusler compound CoTiSb

The Heusler compound CoTiSb was synthesized and investigated theoretically and experimentally with respect to electronic structure and optical, mechanical, and vibrational properties. The optical properties were investigated in a wide spectral range from 10 meV to 6.5 eV and compared with ab initio calculations. The optical spectra confirm the semiconducting nature of CoTiSb, with a strong exciton absorption at 1.83 eV. The calculated phonon dispersion as well as elastic constants verify the mechanical stability of CoTiSb in the cubic $C{1}_{b}$ system. Furthermore, solid solution series of CoTi${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$${M}_{x}$Sb ($M=\text{Sc}$, V and $0\ensuremath{\leqslant}x\ensuremath{\le…

Epitaxial growth and thermoelectric properties of TiNiSn and Zr0.5Hf0.5NiSn thin films

Abstract Due to their exceptional thermoelectric properties Half-Heusler alloys like MNiSn (M = Ti,Zr,Hf) have moved into focus. The growth of single crystalline thin film TiNiSn and Zr 0.5 Hf 0.5 NiSn by dc magnetron sputtering is reported. Seebeck and resistivity measurements were performed and their dependence on epitaxial quality is shown. Seebeck coefficient, specific resistivity and power factor for Zr 0.5 Hf 0.5 NiSn at room temperature were measured to be 63 μV K − 1 , 14.1 μΩ m and 0.28 mW K − 2  m − 1 , respectively. Multilayers of TiNiSn and Zr 0.5 Hf 0.5 NiSn are promising candidates to increase the thermoelectric figure-of-merit by decreasing thermal conductivity perpendicular …

On the Phase Separation in n-Type Thermoelectric Half-Heusler Materials

Half-Heusler compounds have been in focus as potential materials for thermoelectric energy conversion in the mid-temperature range, e.g., as in automotive or industrial waste heat recovery, for more than ten years now. Because of their mechanical and thermal stability, these compounds are advantageous for common thermoelectric materials such as Bi 2 Te 3 , SiGe, clathrates or filled skutterudites. A further advantage lies in the tunability of Heusler compounds, allowing one to avoid expensive and toxic elements. Half-Heusler compounds usually exhibit a high electrical conductivity σ , resulting in high power factors. The main drawback of half-Heusler compounds is their high lattice th…