Thermoelectric properties of URu2Si2 and U2Ru3Si5

The new possibility of uranium noble metal silicides for thermoelectric mat erials was investigated by the analogy with transition-metal silicides havi ng good thermoelectric power. The Seebeck coefficient and electrical resist ivity of URu2Si2 and U2Ru3Si5 were measured in the temperature range from 3 00 to 1100 K and Hall coefficient at room temperature. The Seebeck coeffici ents of URu2Si2 and U2Ru3Si5 were obtained to be -48.9 and -32.8 muV K-1 at 1100 K, respectively. The temperature dependences of the electrical resist ivities for URu2Si2 and U2Ru3Si5 were small, which are similar to that of u ranium metal rather than that of silicon semiconductor. As thermoelectric m aterials for high temperatures. URu2Si2 and U2Ru3Si5 were thought to be not promising. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.