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/2a5b9c57-5df8-4b26-b61c-71126ce18ca4