Experimental measurements of Ti–Sb binary phase diagram for half-Heusler thermoelectric alloys
摘要
The Ti–Sb binary system, a critical component of half-Heusler thermoelectric alloys, remains incompletely defined due to the significant difference in melting points between Sb (630°C) and Ti (1670°C). In this work, Ti–Sb diffusion couples were prepared using argon gas-protected seal welding to prevent Sb volatilization during long-term annealing. Seven groups of samples were annealed at temperatures ranging from 400–900°C for 14 days. Eight equilibrium phases—(αTi), (βTi), (Ti3Sb), Ti2Sb, Ti1.35Sb, TiSb, TiSb2 and (Sb)—were identified based on microstructural and compositional analyses using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The equilibrium conjugate compositions reveal that the solubility of Sb in the hexagonal close-packed (αTi) phase is 0.33 at.%, while it significantly increases to ~7 at.% in the body-centred cubic (βTi) phase at 850°C due to its structural transformation. The detected phases (Ti3Sb), Ti2Sb, Ti1.35Sb (or Ti11−xSb8−γ), TiSb and TiSb2 exhibit stoichiometric compositions. Notably, the (Ti3Sb) phase shows a low Sb content (~22.5 at.%) below 600°C but transitions to a higher Sb content (~25.5 at.%) above 700°C, a change attributed to its structural modification from cubic-(Ti3Sb) to tetragonal-(Ti3Sb). These findings provide critical insights into the phase equilibria and structural transformations in the Ti–Sb system, enhancing its understanding for thermoelectric applications.