Polycrystalline LaFe3CoSb12 material manufactured by melt-freeze-annealingmethod

A new method called melt-freeze-annealing has been developed to fabricate p olycrystalline thermoelectric LaFe3CoSb12. The melting and annealing temper atures as well as the freezing style all can affect the phase content, poro sity and grain size of skutterudite polycrystalline materials. The use of a higher melting temperature and a appropriate buffer temperature with annea ling at about 700 degrees C are the best conditions for fabricating the LaF e3CoSb12 polycrystalline materials. The polycrystalline skutterudite materi als fabricated by a melt-freeze-annealing procedure possessed high skutteru dute content, fine grain size and very low porosity, and are suitable for t hermoelectric usage.