Thermoelectric materials can be used to convert waste heat, such as solar energy and automobile exhaust, to electricity. A Bi0.45Sb1.55Te3 p-type cuboid was created using hydrothermal synthesis, cold pressing, and evacuated-and-encapsulated sintering in a Pyrex ampoule. The figure of merit (z) was determined by finding three transport parameters: electrical conductivity, thermopower, and thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity measurements on the three (A, ...
