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Title: Rare-earth-metal-based thermoelectric compositions
Claims: What is claimed is: 1. In a thermoelectric generator, an N-type thermoelectric leg, at least part of the length of which consists essentially of a defect-doped, mixed-valence, N-type thermoelectric composition that exhibits a negative absolute Seebeck coefficient of at least 175 microvolts/.degree.C. and consists essentially of rare-earth metal selected from gadolinium and erbium and chalcogen selected from selenium and tellurium, with from 0 to about 5 atomic-percent of the metal being replaced with cerium, neodymium, praseodymium, yttrium, or a mixed-valence transition element and with from 0 to about 5 atomic percent of the chalcogen being replaced with sulfur or oxygen, and the ratio of chalcogen elements to metal elements being between 1.47 and slightly less than 1.5 to 1; at least about 99 area-percent of said composition being a single phase. 2. A thermoelectric generator of claim 1 in which the rare-earth metal consists essentially of gadolinium. 3. A thermoelectric generator of claim 1 in which said composition consists essentially of gadolinium and selenium. 4. A thermoelectric generator of claim 1 that includes a P-type thermoelectric leg that consists essentially of at least one metal ingredient selected from copper and a mixture of copper and silver, and at least one non-metal element selected from tellurium and selenium. 5. In a thermoelectric generator, a N-type thermoelectric leg, at least part of the length of which consists essentially of a defect-doped, mixed-valence, N-type thermoelectric composition that exhibits a negative absolute Seebeck coefficient of at least 175 microvolts/.degree.C. at 500.degree. C and consists essentially of gadolinium and selenium, with from 0 to about 5 atomic-percent of the gadolinium being replaced with iron, and the ratio of chalcogen elements to metal elements being between 1.47 and slightly less than 1.5 to 1; at least about 99 area-percent of said composition being a single phase. Other info: Inventors: Hampl, Jr., Edward F. (St. Paul, MN, US) Application Number: 406277 Filing Date: 1973-10-15 Publication_date: 1977-12-06 Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (St. Paul, MN) Primary Class(es): 136/238 136/236.1, 252/62.3T, 423/263, 423/508 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs:
Rare Earth Research, The Macmillan Co., N.Y., 1961, pp. 232-240. | |