Undoped powders were synthesized by mechanical alloying (MA) of elemental powders using a nominal stoichiometric composition. Nano-structured, single-phase skutterudite was successfully produced by vacuum hot pressing (VHP) using MA powders without subsequent annealing. Phase transformations during synthesis were investigated using XRD, and microstructure was observed using SEM and TEM. Thermoelectric properties in terms of Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and figure of merit(ZT) were systematically measured and compared with the results of analogous studies. Lattice thermal conductivity was reduced owing to increasing phone scattering in nano-structured MA , leading to enhancement in the thermoelectric figure of merit. MA associated with VHP technique offers an alternative potential processing route for the process of skutterudite.

N-type solid solutions doped with 1 was prepared by melt spinning, crushing and vacuum sintering processes. Microstructure, bending strength and thermoelectric property were investigated as a function of the doping quantity from 0.03wt.% to 0.10wt.% and sintering temperature from to , and finally compared with those of conventionally fabricated alloys. The alloy showed a good structural homogeneity as well as bending strength of . The highest thermoelectric figure of merit was obtained by doping 0.03wt.% and sintering at .

Fe-doped skutterudite with a nominal composition of has been synthesized by mechanical alloying (MA) of elemental powders, followed by hot pressing. Phase transformations during mechanical alloying and hot pressing were systematically investigated using XRD. Single phase skutterudite was successfully produced by vacuum hot pressing using as-milled powders without subsequent annealing. However, second phase in the form of marcasite structure was found to exist in case of , suggesting the solubility limit of Fe with Co in this system. Thermoelectric properties as functions of temperature and Fe contents were evaluated for the hot pressed specimens. Fe substitution up to x=1.5 with Co in appeared to increase thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) and the maximum ZT was found to be 0.78 at 525K in this study.

Abstract Direct solid state synthesis by hot pressing has been applied in order to produce high efficiency bulk specimens. Single phase with 98.5% of theoretical density was successfully produced by direct hot pressing of elemental powders containing 1.2 at.% excess Zn. Thermoelectric properties as a function of temperature were investigated from room temperature to 600 K and compared with results of other studies. Transport properties at room temperature were also evaluated. Thermoelectric properties of single phase materials produced by direct synthesis were measured and are comparable to the published data. Direct solid state synthesis by hot pressing provides a promising processing route in this material