• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.12 no.5
• /
• pp.375-381
• /
• 2002

N-type ${\beta}-FeSi_2$ with a nominal composition of $Fe_{0.98}Co_{0.02}Si_2$ powders has been produced by mechanical alloying process and consolidated by vacuum hot pressing. As-milled powders were of metastable state and fully transformed to ${\beta}-FeSi_2$ phase by subsequent isothermal annealing. However, as-consolidated $Fe_{0.98}Co_{0.02}Si_2$ consisted of untransformed mixture of ${\alpha}-Fe_2Si_ 5$ and $\varepsilon$-FeSi phases. Isothermal annealing has been carried out to induce the transformation to a thermoelectric semiconducting ${\beta}-FeSi_2$ phase. The transformation behavior of ${\beta}-FeSi_2$ was investigated by utilizing DTA, a modified TGA under magnetic field, SEM, and XRD analyses. Isothermal annealing at $830^{\circ}C$ in vacuum led to the thermoelectric semiconducting ${\beta}-FeSi_2$ phase transformation, but some residual metallic $\alpha$ and $\varepsilon$ phases were unavoidable even after prolonged annealing. Thermoelectric properties were remarkably improved by isothermal annealing due to the transformation from metallic $\alpha$ and $\varepsilon$ phases to semiconducting phases.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.218-223
• /
• 2004

P-type $\beta$-FeSi$_2$ with a nominal composition of $Fe_{0.92}Mn_{0.08}Si_2$ powders has been produced by mechanical alloying process. As-milled powders were spray dried and consolidated by atmospheric plasma thermal spraying as a rapid sintering process. As-milled powders were of metastable state and fully transformed to $\beta$-$FeSi_2$ phase by subsequent isothermal annealing. However, as-thermal sprayed $Fe_{0.92}Mn_{0.08}Si_2$ consisted of untransformed mixture of $\alpha$-$Fe_2Si_{5}$ and $\varepsilon$-FeSi phases. Isothermal annealing has been carried out to induce transformation to the thermoelectric semiconducting $\beta$-$FeSi_2$ phase. Isothermal annealing at $845^{\circ}C$ in vacuum gradually led to the thermoelectric semiconducting $\beta$-$FeSi_2$ phase transformation, but some residual metallic $\alpha$ and $\varepsilon$ phases were unavoidable even after prolonged annealing. Thermoelectric properties of $\beta$-$FeSi_2$ materials before and after isothermal annealing were evaluated. Seebeck coefficient increased and electric conductivity decreased with increasing annealing time due to the phase transition from metallic phases to semiconducting phases. Thermoelectric properties showed gradual increment, but overall properties appeared to be inferior to those of vacuum hot pressed specimens.

• Journal of Powder Materials
• /
• v.15 no.5
• /
• pp.345-351
• /
• 2008

The effects of the dopant (Mn) ratio on the microstructure and thermoelectric properties of $FeSi_2$ alloy were studied in this research. The alloy was fabricated by a combination process of ball milling and high pressure pressing. Structural behavior of the sintered bulks were systematically investigated by XRD, SEM, and optical microscopy. With increasing dopan (Mn) ratio, the density and ${\varepsilon}-FeSi$ phase of the sintered bulks increased and maximum density of 94% was obtained in the 0.07% Mn-doped alloy. The sintered bulks showed fine microstructure of ${\alpha}-Fe_{2}Si_{5}$, ${\varepsilon}-FeSi$ and ${\beta}-FeSi_2$ phase. The semiconducting phase of ${\beta}-FeSi_2$ was transformed from ${\alpha}-Fe_{2}Si_{5}+{\varepsilon}-FeSi$ phase by annealing.

• Journal of Powder Materials
• /
• v.17 no.6
• /
• pp.482-488
• /
• 2010

In this study, $FeSi_2$ as high temperature performance capable thermoelectric materials was manufactured by powder metallurgy.The as-casted Fe-Si alloy was annealed for homogenization below $1200^{\circ}C$ for 3 h. Due to its high brittleness, the cast alloy transformed to fine powders by ball-milling, followed by subsequent compaction (hydraulic pressure; 2 GPa) and sintering ($1200^{\circ}C$, 12 h). In order to precipitate ${\beta}-FeSi_2$, heat treatment was performed at $850^{\circ}C$ with varying dwell time (7, 15 and 55 h). As a result of this experiment thermoelectric phase ${\beta}-FeSi_2$ was quickly transformed by powder metallurgical process. There was not much change in powder factor between 7h and 55h specimens.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.37 no.7
• /
• pp.632-637
• /
• 2000

Thermoelectric conversion properties of commercial Fe-Si2 and Fe-Si alloy ingots prepared by RF inductive furnace were investigated. As sintering temperature increased, density of the specimen increased and the phase transformation from metallic phases ($\varepsilon$-FeSi, ${\alpha}$-Fe2Si5) to semiconducting phase (${\beta}$-FeSi2) occurred more effectively. The FeSi phase was detected even after 100hrs of annealing treatment. For the Fesi1.95∼FeSi2.05 specimens prepared by RF inductive furnace, the thermoelectric property improved as the composition of the specimen approached to stoichiometric composition FeSi2. Electrical conductivity of the specimen increased with increasing temperatures showing typical semiconducting behavior. From the electrical conductivity measurements, activation energy in the intrinsic region (above about 700 K) was calculated to be approximately 0.46 eV. In spite of non-doping, the Seebeck coefficient for every specimen exhibited p-type conduction due to Si deficiency. Its maximum value was located at about 475 K, and then decreased abruptly with increasing temperatures. The power factor was governed by the Seebeck coefficient of the specimen more significantly than by electrical conductivity.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.200-205
• /
• 2003

Thermoelectric p-type $Fe_{0.98}$ $Mn_{ 0.02}$$Si_2$ bulk specimens have been produced by mechanical alloying and consolidation by vacuum hot pressing. The subsequent isothermal annealing was not able to fully transform the mestastable as -milled powders into the $\beta$ $-FeSi_2$ phase, so that the obtained matrix consisted of not only thermoelectric semiconducting $\beta$-FeSi$_2$ but also some residual, untransformed metallic $\alpha$ $- Fe_2$$Si_{ 5}$ and $\varepsilon$-FeSi mixtures. Interestingly, $\beta$ - $FeSi_2$ was more easily obtained in the low density specimen when compared to the high density specimen. The oxidation at 700 and $800^{\circ}C$ in air led to the phase transformation of the above described iron - silicides and the formation of a thin silica surface layer.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
• /
• 1999.04a
• /
• pp.23-23
• /
• 1999

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2000.11a
• /
• pp.61-61
• /
• 2000

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
• /
• 1999.10a
• /
• pp.32-32
• /
• 1999

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.90-98
• /
• 1995

In the Fe-Si system, a mixture of a($Fe_{2}Si_5$) - and ${\epsilon}$(FeSi)-composition powders was sintered and heat-treated subsequently at various temperatures and time to get thermoelectric ${\beta}$-phase($FeSi_2$) compacts. The different transformational sequences depending on the heat treating temperature were found through the investigation into phase transformation and microstructural development. That is, a rapid eutectoid decomposition of ${\alpha}{\to}{\beta}+Si$ occurred together with a accompanying slow reaction between the dispersed Si formed by above decomposition and the preexisted ${\epsilon}$ phase at temperatures below $830^{\circ}C$. The unreacted Si and the micropores formed due to the density change upon the transformation coarsened as heat treating time elapsed. At temperatures above $880^{\circ}C$, however, transformation was proceeded by a peritectoid reaction of ${\alpha}+{\epsilon}{\to}{\beta}$. It took at least 200min. to achieve 90% volume fracion of transformed ${\beta}$ phase, and the growth of micro-pores was also observed in this transformational sequence with prolonged heat treating time.