The structure of compact Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 thermoelectric material specimens obtained by spark plasma sintering (the SPS method) and conventional hot pressing have been compared using X−ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. We show that the spark plasma sintering method does not produce a finer structure compared to hot pressing. However, the process temperatures being comparable, the quality of sintering characterized by the absence of pores and cracks and by the fracture surface fragment sizes is higher for the SPS specimens.
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