Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Elsner, N. B..
Lanthanum sulfide is maintained in the stable cubic phase form over a temperature range of from 500 C to 1500 C by adding to it small amounts of calcium, barium, or strontium. This compound is an excellent thermoelectric material.
Boron-carbon p-type thermoelectric materials show promise for use in advanced thermal-to-electric space power conversion systems. Here, recent data on the thermoelectric properties of boron-carbon materials, such as B9C, B13C2, B15C2, and B4C, are reviewed. In particular, attention is given to the effect of the compositional homogeneity and residual impurity content on the Seeback coefficient, electrical resistivity, and thermal conductivity of these materials. The effect of carbon content for a given level of impurity and degree of homogeneity is also discussed.
The Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity of boron-carbon (B-C) and boron-carbon-silicon (B-C-Si)) P-type alloys are reported for temperatures up to 500 C. Using available literature values for the thermal conductivity of B-C alloys, thermoelectric figure-of-merit values of 1.37 x 10 to the -5th and 1.20 x 10 to the -4th/deg C are calculated for 100 and 500 C, respectively. Sulfur-deficient rare earth sesquisulfide N-type alloys exhibit Seebeck coefficients which are relatively insensitive to alloy composition over the composition range investigated but are very sensitive to fabrication parameters.
The limiting operating temperatures of SiGe thermoelectrics designed for extended operation are set by sublimation process of the elements and by considerations of their compatibility with the surrounding insulating elements. Mass spectrometric Knudsen cell and Langmuir vaporization modes of operation have been utilized in the study of the equilibrium vapor species and in the time evaluation of the sublimation process. Isothermal high-vacuum (1 ntorr) anneals of samples have extended observations to long-time spans. The time variations follow the formation of surface depletion layers due to disproportional rates of sublimation of the various species.
Resistance to grain growth of tungsten prepared by vapor deposition at high temperatures