New p- and n-type skutterudites with ZT > 1 and nearly identical thermal expansion and mechanical properties

Author(s)
Gerda Rogl, Andrij Grytsiv, Esmaeil Royanian, P. Heinrich, Ernst Bauer, Peter Franz Rogl, Michael Zehetbauer, Stephan Puchegger, Marius Reinecker, Wilfried Schranz
Abstract

Using thermoelectricity to directly convert (waste) heat energy into useful electricity faces a number of challenges. Not only are optimised thermal and electrical transport properties required resulting in a high figure of merit ZT and a high thermal electric conversion efficiency eta over a wide temperature range, thermoelectric (TE) materials must have sufficient mechanical integrity to survive continuous heating cooling cycles. Thermal expansion of the material as well as the mechanical properties play an important role, i.e. their values should be as similar as possible for p- and n-type alloys to avoid stresses when used in a TE device. In this paper multiple filled p- and n-type skutterudites (Ba,Sr,DD,Yb)(y)(Fe1-xNix)(4)Sb-12 with a ZT > 1 and eta approximate to 13% are presented, for the first time showing, in contrast to hitherto investigated skutterudites, nearly identical thermal expansion coefficients and elastic moduli. The ZT values of these skutterudites could be further enhanced by more than 20% after severe plastic deformation via high-pressure torsion.

Organisation(s)
Department of Physical Chemistry, Physics of Nanostructured Materials, Faculty Center for Nano Structure Research, Physics of Functional Materials
External organisation(s)
Technische Universität Wien
Journal
Acta Materialia
Volume
61
Pages
4066-4079
No. of pages
14
ISSN
1359-6454
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2013.03.031
Publication date
2013
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
104017 Physical chemistry, 210006 Nanotechnology, 104011 Materials chemistry
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/new-p-and-ntype-skutterudites-with-zt--1-and-nearly-identical-thermal-expansion-and-mechanical-properties(2a5b9c57-5df8-4b26-b61c-71126ce18ca4).html