SEEBECK COEFFICIENT / ELECTRIC RESISTIVITY

Thermoelectricity describes the mutual influence of temperature and electricity in a material and is based on three basic effects: the Seebeck-effect, the Peltier-effect and the Thomson-effect.

The Seebeck-effect was discovered in 1821 by Thomas J. Seebeck, a German physicist, and describes the occurrence of an electric field when applying a temperature gradient in an electrically insulated conductor. The Seebeck coefficient S is defined as the quotient of the negative thermal voltage and the temperature difference and is a purely material-specific variable, which is usually given in the unit μV / K.

Using the Linseis LSR-Platform, thermoelectric materials in the form of solid material as well as in the form of thin films can be characterized almost completely. In the basic version – LSR-3, both the Seebeck-Coefficient and the Electrical Conductivity (or resistivity) of solid materials can be measured fully automatically and simultaneously up to a maximum temperature of 1500°C.

In order to calculate the thermoelectric figure of merit ZT, which is widely used for the comparison of the efficiency of thermoelectric materials, it is required to know the materials thermal conductivity, in addition to the Seebeck-Coefficient and the electrical conductivity. For the measurement of the thermal conductivity parameters, usually an additional measuring instrument, such as a LaserFlash, is required. Linseis offer a solution to integrate a LaserFlash into the Linseis LSR platform (see LZT-Meter).

Manufacturer's website : https://www.linseis.com/en/