Thermal dependence of the mechanical properties of NiTiSn using first-principles calculations and high-pressure X-ray diffraction

Abstract

In this work we aim to study the effect of temperature on the mechanical properties of a solid. For this, we have introduced a new first-principles based methodology to obtain the thermal variation of the elastic constants of NiTiSn, a multifunctional Heusler compound. In parallel using X-ray diffraction, we have measured the isothermal bulk modulus at 300 K. The agreement between the calculations and the experiments is within the experimental error bars showing the accuracy of the calculations. Using two other numerical methods, which give all coherent results, we have shown that NiTiSn conserves its very good mechanical properties up to 1500 K. In particular at 700 K (the best working temperature for thermoelectric applications), NiTiSn remains a ductile and robust material making it a compound of choice for applications in which large temperature fluctuations are present.