Thermodynamic interpretation of thermoelectric phenomena - I. The absolute thermoelectric power of Pd-Rh and Pd-Ag alloys

In a reexamination of Onsager's treatment of the thermoelectric phenomena it is suggested to consider a second equivalent view, the temperature dependence of the Fermi energy, besides the conventional interpretation in terms of the scattering properties of the electron gas. The absolute thermoelectric power of Rh-Pd-Apa alloys calculated with this concept from density of states data is in good agreement both with calculations of the transport coefficients and with experimental results.