Effect of Sintering Temperature on the Properties of CuAlO2 Synthesized from Nano-sized Precursors for Application in Smart Infrastructure Systems

Abstract

The current study aims to evaluate the influence of different sintering temperatures on the thermoelectric properties of copper aluminum oxide (CuAlO2) pellets synthesized from copper oxide (CuO) and aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH)3) for application in smart infrastructure systems. The pellets were sintered at 400K, 1000K, and 1300K, in the presence of nitrogen gas flow to reduce the amount of oxygen availability. Chemical analysis of the CuAlO2 sintered nanoparticles by X-ray diffractometry, and the nanostructure of the materials were studied by scanning electron microscope. The transmittance of the sintered materials was examined by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer and 67% transparency was observed for the pellets sintered at 1300K. Electrical conductivity was measured at 0.905 mS/cm, indicating the semiconducting behavior.