Fabrication and Thermoelectric Characterization of Transition Metal Silicide-Based Composite Thermocouples

Metal silicide-based thermocouples were fabricated by screen printing thick films of the powder compositions onto alumina tapes followed by lamination and sintering processes. The legs of the embedded thermocouples were composed of composite compositions consisting of MoSi₂, WSi₂, ZrSi₂, or TaSi₂ with an additional 10 vol % Al₂O₃ to form a silicide⁻oxide composite. The structural and high-temperature thermoelectric properties of the composite thermocouples were examined using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and a typical hot⁻cold junction measurement technique. MoSi₂-Al₂O₃ and WSi₂-Al₂O₃ composites exhibited higher intrinsic Seebeck coefficients (22.2⁻30.0 µV/K) at high-temperature gradients, which were calculated from the thermoelectric data of composite//Pt thermocouples. The composite thermocouples generated a thermoelectric voltage up to 16.0 mV at high-temperature gradients. The MoSi₂-Al₂O₃//TaSi₂-Al₂O₃ thermocouple displayed a better performance at high temperatures. The Seebeck coefficients of composite thermocouples were found to range between 20.9 and 73.0 µV/K at a temperature gradient of 1000 °C. There was a significant difference between the calculated and measured Seebeck coefficients of these thermocouples, which indicated the significant influence of secondary silicide phases (e.g., Mo₅Si₃, Ta₅Si₃) and possible local compositional changes on the overall thermoelectric response. The thermoelectric performance, high sensitivity, and cost efficiency of metal silicide⁻alumina ceramic composite thermocouples showed promise for high-temperature and harsh-environment sensing applications.