Thermoelectric properties of non-stoichiometric lanthanum sulfides

The lanthanum sulfides are promising candidate materials for high-efficiency thermoelectric applications at temperatures up to 1300 C. The non-stoichiometric lanthanum sulfides (LaS(x), where x is in the range 1.33-1.50) appear to possess the most favorable thermoelectric properties. The Seebeck coefficient and resistivity vary significantly with composition, so that an optimum value of alpha sq/rho (where alpha is the Seebeck coefficient and rho is the resistivity) can be chosen. The thermal conductivity remains approximately constant with stoichiometry, so a material with an optimum value of alpha sq/rho should possess the optimum figure-of-merit. Data for the Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity of non-stoichiometric lanthanum sulfides will be pressed, together with structural properties of these materials.