• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.135-141
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• 2013

Mechanical alloying was carried out to produce $CrSi_2$ thermoelectric compound using a mixture of elemental $Cr_{33}Si_{67}$ powders. An optimal milling and heat treatment conditions to obtain the single phase of $CrSi_2$ compound with fine microstructure were investigated by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry measurement. $CrSi_2$ intermetallic compound with a grain size of 70 nm could be obtained by MA of $Cr_{33}Si_{67}$ powders for 70 hours and subsequently annealed at $650^{\circ}C$. Consolidation of the MA powders was performed in a spark plasma sintering (SPS) machine using graphite dies at $600{\sim}1000^{\circ}C$ under 60 MPa. The shrinkage of MA samples during SPS consolidation process increased gradually with increasing temperature up to $1000^{\circ}C$ and relatively significant at about $600^{\circ}C$. We tend to believe that these behaviors are deeply related to form a $CrSi_2$ compound during heating process, as can be realized from the DSC measurement. Electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient of sintered bodies were measured up to $900^{\circ}C$. Seebeck coefficient and power factor of $Cr_{33}Si_{67}$ compact prepared by MA and SPS at $1000^{\circ}C$ showed the maximum value of $125{\mu}V/K$ at $400^{\circ}C$ and $4.3{\times}10^{-4}W/mK^2$ at $350^{\circ}C$, respectively.