Thermal properties of Nb2SnC

In this article we report on the thermal properties of the ternary carbide Nb2SnC. Its heat capacity, c(p), is 75 J/mol K at ambient temperatures and increases to approximate to 115 J/mol K at 1300 K. Analysis of c(p) measurements in the 4-15 K temperature range yields a Debye temperature of 324 K and a density of states at the Fermi level of 2.66 (eV unit cell)(-1). At room temperature, the thermal conductivity is 17 W/m K and it increases to approximate to 31 W/m K at 1500 K. At temperatures greater than 600 K, roughly 85% of the heat is transported by electronic defects (i.e., electrons and/or holes). The thermal properties-of Nb2SnC are quite comparable to those of near-stoichiometric NbCx. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)02822-X].