Thermoelectric properties of Sr0.61Ba0.39Nb2O6−δ ceramics in different oxygen-reduction conditions*

The thermoelectric properties of Sr0.61Ba0.39Nb2O6−δ ceramics, reduced in different conditions, are investigated in the temperature range from 323 K to 1073 K. The electrical transport behaviors of the samples are dominated by the thermal-activated polaron hopping in the low temperature range, the Fermi glass behavior in the middle temperature range, and the Anderson localized behavior in the high temperature range. The thermal conductivity presents a plateau at high-temperatures, indicating a glass-like thermal conduction behavior. Both the thermoelectric power factor and the thermal conductivity increase with the increase of the degree of oxygen-reduction. Taking these two factors into account, the oxygen-reduction can still contribute to promoting the thermoelectric figure of merit. The highest ZT value is obtained to be ~0.19 at 1073 K in the heaviest oxygen reduced sample.