Toward the enhancement of thermoelectric properties of lamellar Ca 3Co 4O 9 by edge-free spark plasma texturing

• Published in: Scripta materialia Vol. 66; no. 5; pp. 258 - 260
• Main Authors: Noudem, Jacques G., Kenfaui, Driss, Chateigner, Daniel, Gomina, Moussa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-03-2012
• Subjects: Edge-free spark plasma sintering (ESPS); Grain boundaries density; Grain growth; Spark plasma texturing (SPT); Texturation; Spark plasma texturing (SPT); Edge-free spark plasma sintering (ESPS); Texturation; Grain growth; Grain boundaries density
• ISSN: 1359-6462; 1872-8456
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2011.11.004

A spark plasma sintering (SPS) device was modified to allow free deformation of grains perpendicular to the loading axis. The aim was to obtain lamellar thermoelectric Ca
3Co
4O
9 ceramics. The new process is referred to as edge-free spark plasma sintering or spark plasma texturing (SPT). SPT materials are compared to those processed by conventional sintering and traditional SPS in terms of microstructure, texture and high-temperature thermoelectric properties. The results highlight the decisive advantages of the SPT technique.