Effect of spark plasma sintering on the structure and properties of Ti1-xZrxNiSn half-Heusler alloys

Abstract

XNiSn (X = Ti, Zr and Hf) half-Heusler alloys have promising thermoelectric properties and are attracting enormous interest for use in waste heat recovery. In particular, multiphase behaviour has been linked to reduced lattice thermal conductivities, which enables improved energy conversion efficiencies. This manuscript describes the impact of spark plasma sintering (SPS) on the phase distributions and thermoelectric properties of Ti0.5Zr0.5NiSn based half-Heuslers. Rietveld analysis reveals small changes in composition, while measurement of the Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivities reveals that all SPS treated samples are electron doped compared to the as-prepared samples. The lattice thermal conductivities fall between 4 W·m-1·K-1 at 350 K and 3 W·m-1·K-1 at 740 K. A maximum ZT = 0.7 at 740 K is observed in a sample with nominal Ti0.5Zr0.5NiSn composition.