# Effect of secondary LuNiSn phase on thermoelectric properties of half-Heusler alloy LuNiSb

## TL;DR

This study investigates the thermoelectric properties of LuNiSb, LuNiSn, and their composite, revealing that the composite combines electrical conductivity and thermoelectric properties but does not improve overall performance.

## Contribution

It provides new insights into the thermoelectric behavior of LuNiSb, LuNiSn, and their composite, highlighting the lack of performance enhancement in the composite material.

## Key findings

- LuNiSn exhibits metallic conductivity.
- LuNiSb shows semiconducting-like behavior.
- The composite combines properties but does not enhance thermoelectric performance.

## Abstract

We report on the high-temperature (350 K <T< 1000 K) thermoelectric properties of the ternary compounds LuNiSb (cubic) and LuNiSn (orthorhombic) and a composite material (LuNiSb)$_{0.5}$(LuNiSn)$_{0.5}$. The electrical conductivity in LuNiSn is metallic, while it is semiconducting-like in LuNiSb. The Seebeck coefficient reaches -5.5 $\mu$V/K at 700 K for the former compound and 66 $\mu$V/K at 607 K for the latter one. The composite sample (LuNiSb)$_{0.5}$(LuNiSn)$_{0.5}$ constructed from orthorhombic matrix with cubic inclusions combines the electrical conductivity of LuNiSn with the thermoelectric properties of LuNiSb. Nonetheless, no enhancement of the thermoelectric performance occurs for this material.

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/1901.08399