Thermoelectric materials synthesized by self-propagating high temperature synthesis process and methods thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10913119-B2
Application number	US-201916667173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2019
Priority date	Mar 19, 2013
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

The disclosure relates to thermoelectric materials prepared by self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) process combining with Plasma activated sintering and methods for preparing thereof. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to the new criterion for combustion synthesis and the method for preparing the thermoelectric materials which meet the new criterion.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of preparing a thermoelectric material, comprising:
1) weighing powders of reactants according to an appropriate stoichiometric ratio, mixing the powders in an agate mortar, and cold-pressing the powders into a pellet;
2) sealing the pellet in a silica tube under a pressure of 10 −3 Pa, initiating a self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) by point-heating a portion of the pellet wherein, once the SHS starts, a wave of exothermic reactions passes through the remaining portion of the pellet, after the SHS and exothermic reactions, cooling down the pellet in air or quenching the pellet in salt water to obtain a cooled-down pellet; and
3) crushing the cooled-down pellet obtained in step 2) into powder, and sintering the powder with plasma activated sintering (PAS) to form a bulk material,
wherein the reactants include Co, M, Sb, and Te powders, M is Fe or Ni,
the stoichiometric ratio is Co:M:Sb:Te=4−e:e:12−f:f, where 0≤e≤1.0, 0≤f≤1.0,
the cooled-down pellet obtained in step (2) contains Co 4-e M e Sb 12-f Te f ;
the PAS include heating the cooled-down pellet at a heating rate of 100° C./min to a reaction temperature of 650° C. and holding the cooled-down pellet to the reaction temperature of 650° C. and a pressure of 40 MPa for 8 min, and
a final product is a CoSb 3 based thermoelectric material.

Assignees

• Univ Wuhan Tech

Inventors

• Tang Xinfeng
• Su Xianli
• Zhang Qiang
• Cheng Xin
• Yang Dongwang
• Zheng Gang
• Fu Fan
• Liang Tao
• Zhang Qingjie

Classifications

• B22F9/16

  using chemical processes · CPC title

• C22C28/00

  Alloys based on a metal not provided for in groups C22C5/00 - C22C27/00 · CPC title

• C22C12/00

  Alloys based on antimony or bismuth · CPC title

• B22F3/23 Primary

  involving a self-propagating high-temperature synthesis or reaction sintering step {(making cermets by reaction sintering C22C1/051)} · CPC title

• B22F9/04

  starting from solid material, e.g. by crushing, grinding or milling ({C22C1/1084 takes precedence}; crushing, grinding or milling, in general, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B02C) · CPC title