Preparation of Si-Ge thermoelectric material by mechanical alloying

SiGe alloy was prepared by the method of high-energy ball-milling.The alloying powders which were prepared in different conditions were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),with energy dispersive spectrometry(EDS) and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC).The results show that the optimal process parameters for the preparation of Si0.9Ge0.1alloy are ratating speed of 500 r/min,the ratio of ball to powder of 20∶1 with milling time of 20 h,and Si0.8Ge0.2 alloy is also synthesized by high-energy ball milling with these process parameter.The melting point of the SiGe alloy prepared is 1388 ℃.