Formation of pores in melt-processed (123) oxides and its effect on the microstructure were studied. Spherical pores with a size of a few tens of microns were formed due to the evolution of oxygen gas during melting of a 123 oxide. Some of pores were converted into liquid pockets by liquid filling, but others remained unfilled. The liquid pockets were converted into spherical 123 regions with a lower (211)density through the peritectic reaction during subsequent cooling, while the pores were entrapped into the periteictically grown 123 grains. The spherical 123 regions often consists of a residual melt due to the unbalanced peritectically reaction.

Abstract To investigate the effect of mechanical alloying process to thermoelectric properties of PbTe sintered body, Pb-Te mixed powder with Pb : Te : 1 : 1 composition was mechanically alloyed using tumbler-ball mill. Thermoelectric properties of the sintered body were evaluated by measuring of the Seebeck coefficient and specific electric resistivity from the room temperature to 50. Sintered body of only mechanically alloyed PbTe powder showed p-type behavior at the room temperature, and occurred type transition from p-type to n-type at about 30. PbTe sintered body which was fabricated using heat treated powder in atmosphere after mechanical alloying showed stable n-type behavior under 50. N-type PbTe sintered body fabricated by mechanical alloying process had 4 times higher power factor than that fabricated by the melt-crushing process. Application of a mechanical alloying process to fabricate of n-type PbTe thermoelectric material seemed to be useful to increase the power factor of PbTe sintered body.