Preparation and Investigation of Thermoelectric Properties of Cu3SbS4-Cu3SbSe4 Solid Solutions

Cu-based ternary chalcogenides composed of earth-abundant and nontoxic elements are considered promising thermoelectric materials, although there few reports on them. In our previous studies, optimal mechanical alloying (MA) hot pressing (HP) were used to synthesize Cu3SbS4 (famatinite) Cu3SbSe4 (permingeatite). this study, solid solutions Cu3SbS4-ySey (y = 0–4) prepared using MA HP. X-ray diffraction Rietveld refinement confirmed the formation Cu3SbS4-Cu3SbSe4 solutions. The variation in lattice constants with Se content followed Vegard’s law. As increased, carrier concentration mobility increased. All specimens exhibited p-type conduction, showing positive Hall Seebeck coefficients. coefficient decreased due an increase concentration, while power factor was not enhanced compared that end compounds. Cu3SbS2.4Se1.6 lowest thermal conductivities 0.84 Wm-1K-1 at 323 K 0.56 623 because phonon scattering (alloying scattering) caused by addition, conductivity less than 0.8 K. This attributed (boundary several grain boundaries introduced during MA. dimensionless figure merit gradually increased from 0.14 0.39