Experimental determination of liquidus projection in Cu-Sb-Te system for thermoelectric material design
摘要
The Cu-Sb-Te system has attracted keen interest because of the existence of Cu2Te, Cu4Te3, Sb2Te3, etc., which show extraordinary properties in thermoelectricity. This work establishes the first complete experimental liquidus projection of the Cu-Sb-Te system based on the microstructural and compositional analysis of a series of key as-cast alloys. Key findings include: 12 primary solidification fields: (Cu), (Sb), (Te), Sb2Te3, CuTe, Cu4Te3, ζ/ε-Cu2Te, γ-(Sb, Te), δ-(Sb, Te), β-Cu3Sb, η-Cu2Sb and ternary τ-Cu2SbxTe1−x; a Cu-rich liquid immiscibility dome; 13 invariant reactions including 3 eutectic reactions (E type), 8 transition reactions (U type), 1 peritectic reaction (P type), and a dual-liquid invariant reaction. The projection provides a diagram foundation for designing Cu-Te thermoelectrics.