Enhancement in Power Factor of Al-Doped Cu2Se Thermoelectric Compound Prepared by Combustion Synthesis via Spark Plasma Sintering Technique

An attempt was made to dope the aluminium in the copper site of the Cu2Se compound via combustion synthesis during spark plasma sintering. A series of Cu2-xAlxSe (x = 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03) materials were prepared by combustion synthesis during spark plasma sintering and short annealing. The X-Ray diffraction reports reveal that the prepared materials like Cu2Se consist of alpha-Cu2Se phase, Cu1.99Al0.01Se, Cu1.98Al0.02Se consist of a mixture of alpha-Cu2Se and beta-Cu2Se phases, and Cu1.97Al0.03Se consist of beta-Cu2Se phase. The doping of aluminium enhances the electrical conductivity and power factor value. Furthermore, Al-doping causes the Al-Cu secondary phase formation and aluminium cluster, which also significantly affect the electrical properties of the compounds. The sample Cu1.98Al0.02Se exhibits a power factor of 13.73 at 700 degrees C, which is 23.5% higher than the pure Cu2Se sample prepared. [GRAPHICS] .