Patent ID: 8492643

Claim:
A thermoelectric material represented by Formula 1 below and having a figure-of-merit ZT, as defined in Equation 1 below, of about 0.3 to about 1.2 measured at about 300K: CePd 3-x A x Formula 1 wherein A is a transition metal other than Pd, and 0≦x≦0.8; ZT = S 2 ⁢ σ ⁢ ⁢ T k Equation ⁢ ⁢ 1 wherein ZT is the figure-of-merit, S is a Seebeck coefficient in units of microvolts per degree Kelvin for the thermoelectric material, σ is electrical conductivity in units of inverse ohms-meter, T is absolute temperature in degrees Kelvin, and κ is thermal conductivity in Watts per degree Kelvin-meters, wherein the composition is irradiated with accelerated particles comprising protons, neutrons, or an ion beam.