Grain orientation evolution and multi-scale interfaces enhanced thermoelectric properties of textured Sr0.9La0.1TiO3 based ceramics

Sr0.9La0.1TiO3 based textured ceramics (SLTT-S3T) with a texture fraction of 0.81 are successfully fabricated by the reactive template grain growth method, in which Sr0.9La0.1TiO3/20 wt%Ti was used as matrix and 10 wt% plate-like Sr3Ti2O7 template seeds were used as templates. The phase transition, microstructure evolution, and the anisotropic thermoelectric properties of SLTT-S3T ceramics were investigated. The results show that the ceramics are mainly composed of Sr0.9La0.1TiO3 and rutile TiO2 phases. Grains grow with a preferred orientation along (h00). A maximum ZT of 0.26 at 1073 K was achieved in the direction perpendicular to the tape casting direction. The low lattice thermal conductivity of 1.9 W/(m K) at 1073 K was obtained decreased by 34%, 40%, and 38% compared with non-textured, SrTiO3 and Sr0.9La0.1TiO3 ceramics prepared by the same process, can be attributed to the enhanced phonon scattering by the complex multi-scale boundaries and interfaces. This work provides a strategy of microstructural design for thermoelectric oxides to decrease intrinsic lattice thermal conductivity and further regulate thermoelectric properties via texture engineering.