Thermoelectric Properties of Al(1–x)MnSi(1+x) Alloy Prepared by Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis

The thermoelectric alloy consisting of Al(1–x)MnSi(1+x) (Al2.5Mn3.0Si3.5 and Al0.75Mn1.0Si1.25), Mn3Al, MnSi, and unreacted Si was prepared via self-propagating high-temperature synthesis. The microstructure of the alloy was shown to be porous and mainly represented by coarse Al(1–x)MnSi(1+x) grains (15–60 μm in size). Thermoelectric characteristics of synthesized material were studied. It was found that the Seebeck coefficient is –29 μV/K at room temperature and reaches –8 μV/K at 800 K. The maximum specific electrical resistance of 9.5 Ω cm was observed at room temperature.