Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 June 2011
The dependency of Young’s and shear modulus on relative density and temperature was determined for three series of skutterudites: p-type MmyFe3CoSb12 (y = 0.70, 0.80), p-type DDyFe3CoSb12 (y = 0.65, 0.68) and n-type Sr0.07Ba0.07Yb0.07Co4Sb12. For all three groups of materials the dependency of Young’s modulus, E, on the density and temperature is linear: E(d) = 4.1(1)×d – 268(3) GPa (d is the relative density in %), ΔE/ΔT = 0.20(1) GPa/K, thus allowing extrapolation of E as a function of temperature and towards 100% density.