In this article we report on the thermal properties of the ternary carbide
Nb2SnC. Its heat capacity, c(p), is 75 J/mol K at ambient temperatures and
increases to approximate to 115 J/mol K at 1300 K. Analysis of c(p) measure
ments in the 4-15 K temperature range yields a Debye temperature of 324 K a
nd a density of states at the Fermi level of 2.66 (eV unit cell)(-1). At ro
om temperature, the thermal conductivity is 17 W/m K and it increases to ap
proximate to 31 W/m K at 1500 K. At temperatures greater than 600 K, roughl
y 85% of the heat is transported by electronic defects (i.e., electrons and
/or holes). The thermal properties-of Nb2SnC are quite comparable to those
of near-stoichiometric NbCx. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021
-8979(00)02822-X].