Highly dense Sr0.95Sm0.0125Dy0.0125□0.025Ti0.90Nb0.10O3±δ/ZrO2 composite preparation directly through spark plasma sintering and its thermoelectric properties

Abstract

The Sr_0.95Sm_0.0125Dy_0.0125□_0.025Ti_0.90Nb_0.10O_3±δ/ZrO₂ composite was directly prepared through spark plasma sintering. This approach limited the grain growth and facilitated the achievement of a narrow grain size distribution due to fast sintering and ZrO₂ effects. Thermal conductivity declined to 1.68 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹, which is the lowest among the reported values for micro-polycrystalline SrTiO₃-based structures.