New promising Co-free thermoelectric ceramic based on Ba–Fe–oxide

Thermoelectric ceramics are based in a limited number of transition metal oxides (Co, Mn, Ni,…) which produce materials with high thermoelectric performances. Based on previously existing thermoelectric phases, the phase diagram equilibrium can help to design new thermoelectric ceramics based on other transition metals (for example, Fe). In this work, BaFeO_x ceramics have been prepared by the classical solid state method using different sintering temperatures. The produced materials have shown promising thermoelectric properties when treatment temperatures are in the perovskite zone domain of the phase equilibrium diagram. In spite of the good values for the Seebeck coefficients, power factor is low due to the high resistivities measured in all cases.