Abstract
A new simple method of preparing β-FeSi2 sintered body using hot pressing is presented Fe and Si powders were mixed by ball-milling for 1 hour in an argon atmosphere. Mixtures of Fe and Si powders were hot-pressed at 1100°C for 1 hour under 46.8 MPa and heat treated at 850°C for 9 hours in an argon atmosphere. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that as hot-pressed samples were composed mostly of α-FeSi2 phase with small amount of ε-FeSi phase and their relative densities were more than 93 %. By using the method described above, β-FeSix samples with non-stoichiometric compositions of (1.80≤x≤2.30) were prepared, and their thermolelectric properties were investigated. The electric conduction type of the samples of which x values were smaller than 2.05 showed p-type and that of others showed n-type.
