Fabrication and thermoelectric properties of p-type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 compounds by ingot extrusion

p-Type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 compounds were fabricated by ingot extrusion in the temperature range of 340–460°C. A noble ingot extrusion process was developed for the production of Bi2Te3-based thermoelectric materials with a high strength and figure of merit. The figure of merit Z increased with extrusion temperature. We obtained the highest figure of merit (Z = 2.70 × 10−3/K) at 460°C. The experimental results show that this ingot extrusion is a useful technique for the preparation of good Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 compounds.