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Thermoelectric and structural properties of high-performance In-based skutterudites for high-temperature energy recovery

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2011

Krishnendu Biswas ,
Morris S. Good ,
Kamandi C. Roberts ,
M.A. Subramanian  and
Terry J. Hendricks
Krishnendu Biswas
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331
Morris S. Good
Affiliation:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352
Kamandi C. Roberts
Affiliation:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352
M.A. Subramanian
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331
Terry J. Hendricks*
Affiliation:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, MicroProducts Breakthrough Institute, Corvallis, Oregon 97330
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

The temperature-dependent thermoelectric (TE) and structural properties of n-type filled skutterudites were measured from 300–625 K. In0.2Co4Sb12, and In0.2Ce0.05Yb0.1Co4Sb12 exhibited figure of merit (ZT) values as high as 1.2 at 625 K and In0.2Ce0.15Co4Sb12 showed ZT values of ∼1.4 at 625 K. The room temperature Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and coefficient of thermal expansion (at 298–673 K) of In0.2Ce0.15Co4Sb12, In0.2Co4Sb12, and In0.2Ce0.05Yb0.1Co4Sb12 compositions were found to be lower than that for the unfilled Co4Sb12 skutterudite material. It was discovered that thermal cycling of n-type In0.15Ce0.1Co4Sb12 and In0.2Ce0.17Co4Sb12 materials from 323–673 K (200 cycles) actually increased their power factors by 13.6–36% at 510–525 K without appreciably changing the Young’s modulus or the Poisson’s ratio. The transport and structural properties characterized in this work are critical to transitioning these materials into operating TE devices and systems.

Keywords

Thermal stressesThermoelectricStructural
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 26 , Issue 15: Focus Issue: Advances in Thermoelectric Materials , 14 August 2011 , pp. 1827 - 1835
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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