Anomalous thermoelectric power behaviour in PrSn3 and NdSn3

Results of the thermoelectric power (TEP) measurements done on monocrystalline samples of RESn3 compounds (RE=La, Pr, Nd, and Gd) are presented for the temperature range of 5.5–300 K. It was found that the TEP is positive and weakly temperature dependent at temperatures T>100 K. For T<100 K pronounced anomalies have been observed for the PrSn3 and the NdSn3 compounds in the vicinity of 10 K.We argue that the Kondo and crystal field effects cause these anomalies. A shape of the TEP anomaly found for PrSn3 resembles very much that observed in the electrical resistivity.