Improving thermoelectric properties of CuMnSb alloys via strategic alloying with magnetic MnSb and Cu

Abstract

MnSb alloys are promising candidates for thermally stable magnetic materials in spintronic devices due to their high Curie temperature. When alloyed with transition metals, they hold potential as thermoelectric materials by adopting a half-Heusler structure. Among the few 3d transition metal-based compounds, CuMnSb alloys exhibit antiferromagnetic properties along with thermoelectric behavior. In this study, the CuMnSb alloy was synthesized using arc-melting, followed by powdering and spark plasma sintering. The thermoelectric properties were characterized in a temperature range of 298–673 K. The results indicate a significant improvement in the thermoelectric figure-of-merit (zT) of CuMnSb compared to MnSb, attributed to the increased power factor and reduced thermal conductivity through Cu alloying. These findings demonstrate the potential for obtaining half-Heusler-like thermoelectric materials by tailoring high-temperature magnetic materials.