Abstract:
A BÏ2212 article may be formed by mixing metallic precursor powders including bismuth, strontium, calcium and copper in an oxygen-free atmosphere, mechanically alloying the metallic precursor powders in an oxygen-free atmosphere, and heating the metallic precursor alloy according to a temperature profile. The profile may include a ramp-up stage during which the alloy is heated to a peak temperature in an oxygen-free atmosphere, a dwell stage during which the alloy is held at the peak temperature for a dwell time, and a ramp-down stage during which the alloy is cooled from the peak temperature. During at least a portion of the dwell stage, the oxygen-free atmosphere is switched to an oxygen-inclusive atmosphere, wherein the alloy is oxidized to form a superconducting oxide, which may be sintered during or after oxidation. The alloy may be formed into a shape, such as a wire, prior to oxidizing.
Abstract:
A thermoelectric composite and a thermoelectric device and a method of making the thermoelectric composite. The thermoelectric composite is a semiconductor material formed from mechanically-alloyed powders of elemental constituents of the semiconductor material to produce nano-particles of the semiconductor material, and compacted to have at least a bifurcated grain structure. The bifurcated grain structure has at least two different grain sizes including small size grains in a range of 2-200 nm and large size grains in a range of 0.5 to 5 microns. The semiconductor material has a figure of merit ZT, defined as a ratio of the product of square of Seebeck coefficient, S2, and electrical conductivity σ divided by the thermal conductivity k, which varies from greater than 1 at 300 K to 2.5 at temperatures of 300 to 500K.
Abstract:
A BÏ2212 article may be formed by mixing metallic precursor powders including bismuth, strontium, calcium and copper in an oxygen-free atmosphere, mechanically alloying the metallic precursor powders in an oxygen-free atmosphere, and heating the metallic precursor alloy according to a temperature profile. The profile may include a ramp-up stage during which the alloy is heated to a peak temperature in an oxygen-free atmosphere, a dwell stage during which the alloy is held at the peak temperature for a dwell time, and a ramp-down stage during which the alloy is cooled from the peak temperature. During at least a portion of the dwell stage, the oxygen-free atmosphere is switched to an oxygen-inclusive atmosphere, wherein the alloy is oxidized to form a superconducting oxide, which may be sintered during or after oxidation. The alloy may be formed into a shape, such as a wire, prior to oxidizing.