Effects of Ball-Milling Atmosphere on the Thermoelectric Properties of TAGS-85 Compounds

Inspired by the high ZT value lately attained in Ar-protected ball-milled nanocrystalline p-BiSbTe bulk alloy, we report herein an investigation of the effects of ball-milling atmosphere on the thermoelectric (TE) properties of the traditional TE material (GeTe)85(AgSbTe2)15 (TAGS-85). TAGS-85 samples were prepared via a melting–quenching–annealing process, and then ball-milled in different atmospheres and subsequently densified using a spark plasma sintering technique. The Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and Hall coefficient were measured as a function of temperature from 10 K to 310 K. It was found that different ball-milling atmospheres, i.e., air, liquid N2 (LN2), and Ar, profoundly affected the TE properties. A state-of-the-art figure of merit ZT ≈ 0.30 was attained at 310 K in the Ar-ball milled sample. The results are discussed in terms of the carrier concentration, mobility, crystallinity, and the grain boundary scattering.