National Research Institute for Metals

National Space Development Agency of Japan

Technova Corporation

Isao Nishida

Takashi Amano

Isao Nakatani

Katashi Masumoto

Makoto Okabayashi

Kiyoshi Ozawa

Satoshi Takahashi

Shigeki Tokita

A P-type thermoelectric material consists essentially of iron disilicide, metallic manganese and metallic aluminium dissolved in or alloyed with the iron disilicide, and silicon oxide and/or aluminum oxide present in the iron disilicide. The manganese is contained in an amount of from 1.67 to 4.1 atomic % with respect to a sum of atoms of iron and silicon constituting the iron disilicide, the metallic manganese and the metallic aluminum taken as 100 atomic %, and the metallic aluminum contained in an amount of from 1.33 to 3.33 atomic % with respect thereto, and a sum of the metallic manganese and the metallic aluminum in an amount of from 4.0 to 5.34 atomic % with respect thereto. The P-type thermoelectric material having such a composition produces a thermoelectromotive force equal to or greater than those of the conventional P-type thermoelectric materials comprised of iron disilicide, and it exhibits a mean resistivity equal to or smaller than that of the N-type thermoelectric material. Hence, a thermocouple including the P-type thermoelectric material and the N-type thermoelectric material can be remarkably enhanced in the performance as a whole.

P-type thermoelectric material

A seed crystal is connected with a polycrystal at one end of the polycrystal, the connected crystal material is melted under a zero-gravity or microgravity environment without any container, and a single crystal is grown.

Method of production of single crystal

A thermoelectric material comprising an alloy, a solid solution or an alloy and a solid solution consisting essentially of

Thermal shock resistant thermoelectric material

Growing community of inventors

Ibaraki, Japan

Isao Nishida