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    Item type:Publication,
    Energy-saving synthesis and β-phase enhancement of Cu2Se thermoelectric materials via the microwave hybrid heating technique
    (2021-10-25) ; ; ;
    Harnwunggmoung, Adul
    ;
    Horprathum, Mati
    Thermoelectric generators harvest energy from waste heat and convert it to electricity. β-Cu<inf>2</inf>Se is a candidate for them due to its outstanding thermoelectric properties and its environmentally friendly component elements. A microwave hybrid heating (MHH) method was used for the fast synthesis and enhancement of β-Cu<inf>2</inf>Se materials. The effects of the MHH reaction time on the phase microstructure and thermoelectric properties of the Cu<inf>2</inf>Se material were investigated, and the MHH method was compared with the conventional heating method. The X-ray diffraction patterns of samples, synthesized via the MHH method, showed monoclinic- (α) and cubic- (β) Cu<inf>2</inf>Se crystalline structures, whereas a single monoclinic-(α) structure was identified in a sample, synthesized via a conventional heating method. In addition, the β-Cu<inf>2</inf>Se phase was enhanced with increased MHH reaction time. The carrier concentration increased with β-Cu<inf>2</inf>Se content, which increased electrical conductivity and decreased the Seebeck coefficient. The Cu<sup>+</sup> ions in the β-Cu<inf>2</inf>Se phase led to the reduced thermal conductivity. A low thermal conductivity of 0.86 W m<sup>−1</sup> K<sup>−1</sup> and a maximum dimensionless figure of merit of 0.32 at 523 K were realized for 10 min MHH sample. Finally, MHH showed very low energy consumption and saved time, which are essential for industrialization.