ABSTRACT
The direct conversion of heat to electricity has been a challenging scientific issue for a long time. Lead chalcogenides are a promising and widely used group of thermoelectric materials, being most effective in the temperature interval between 100 °C and 600 °C. Thermoelectric generators are presently utilized in space vehicles and in small ground stations, for example, along gas pipes. This chapter reviews the characteristics and challenges in the thermoelectric applications of the lead chalcogenides. It defines and briefly reviews the thermoelectric phenomena. The chapter discusses the requirements of a good thermoelectric material and the advantages of the lead chalcogenides. It describes the promise of novel developments in solid state physics and electronics. The chapter details several applications of thermoelectric generators made of lead chalcogenides.
