Thermoelectric properties of perovskite type barium molybdate

A polycrystalline sample of perovskite type barium molybdate, BaMoO3, has been prepared by a reduction of BaMoO4 under 4% H-2-Ar atmosphere at 1523 K. The thermoelectric properties, viz. the electrical resistivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity of BaMoO3 have been evaluated from room temperature to about 1000 K. The electrical resistivity of BaMoO3 is slightly lower than that of state-of-the-art thermoelectric materials, and has a positive temperature dependence. The Seebeck coefficient of BaMoO3 is negative in the whole temperature range. The thermal conductivity of BaMoO3 at room temperature equals 30 W m(-1) K-1, which is very high compared with that of state-of-the-art thermoelectric materials. The maximum value of the thermoelectric figure of merit ZT is 0.015 at around 470 K. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.