Thermoelectric Properties of Bismuth Telluride and its Alloys

PREVIOUS publications from this Laboratory have described the progress made with bismuth telluride in connexion with thermoelectric refrigeration or generation. With a thermo-junction between p-type bismuth telluride and bismuth the maximum temperature difference obtained1 was 26° C., and between p- and n-type bismuth telluride2 40°C. This corresponded with a figure of merit 0.0335 degree–1/2. Here η is the thermoelectric power, σ the electrical conductivity, and K the thermal conductivity.