The teams

Thermo-electric power (TEP) device

Contact : Dr. Véronique Massardier

The thermoelectric power (TPE) device is developped by the MATEIS laboratory. It quickly became an essential tool for microstructure caracterisation and phase transformation analysis . Quick and user-friendly, the TPE measure is based on the electrons current (so called the thermoelectric effect) which is induced when setting a metallic sample between two pieces of pure metal (e.g., aluminum) applying a temperature gradient. As the intensitity of the thermo-electric effect depends on several microstructural parameters as the quantity of solute atoms, precipitates and dislocations, the TPE device enables an indirect measure of the microstructure evolution in metallic alloys (precipitation kinetic, phase transformation, recrystallisation, dosing, etc.). 

Successfully used at the lab since years on several alloys, the TPE device is currently sold as a licensed product by TecLab.