Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T12:08:25.133Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Transport Properties and Microstructure of Indium and Cerium added Cobalt-Antimony based Skutterudites

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2011

A. Sesselmann*
Affiliation:
Institute of Materials Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), D-51170 Köln, Germany
T. Dasgupta
Affiliation:
Institute of Materials Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), D-51170 Köln, Germany
C. Stiewe
Affiliation:
Institute of Materials Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), D-51170 Köln, Germany
E. Müller
Affiliation:
Institute of Materials Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), D-51170 Köln, Germany
*
*Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Indium and cerium added cobalt-antimony based skutterudites with different filling fractions were synthesized using different annealing synthesis parameters. Phase homogeneity and microstructure of the resulting as-cast material were examined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The skutterudite material was further compacted using a current-assisted short-term sintering device. Temperature dependent measurements of the Seebeck coefficient, electrical and thermal conductivity were carried out on the compacted specimens in the temperature range of 350 K-700 K. Results indicate significant differences in the transport properties between the slowly cooled and quenched as‑cast materials and also with different filling fractions. Based on the measured transport properties the dimensionless figure of merit ZT was calculated for different filling fractions of indium and cerium. Among these compositions a ZTmax of 1.1 at 700 K was obtained.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Altenkirch, E.: Ueber den Nutzeffekt der Thermosaeule. Physikalische Zeitschrift, 10, 560 (1909).Google Scholar
2. Sales, B. C., Mandrus, D., and Williams, R. K.: Filled Skutterudite Antimonides: A New Class of Thermoelectric Materials. Science, 272, 1325 (1996).Google Scholar
3. Nolas, G. S., Morelli, D. T., and Tritt, T. M.: Skutterudites: A phonon-glass-electron crystal approach to advanced thermoelectric energy conversion applications. Annual Review Of Materials Science, 29, 89 (1999).Google Scholar
4. Morelli, D. T., Meisner, G. P., Chen, B., Hu, S., and Uher, C.: Cerium filling and doping of cobalt triantimonide. Phys. Rev. B, 56, 7376 (1997).Google Scholar
5. Hermann, R. e. P., Jin, R., Schweika, W., Grandjean, F., Mandrus, D., Sales, B. C., and Long, G. J.: Einstein Oscillators in Thallium Filled Antimony Skutterudites. Phys. Rev. Lett., 90, 135505 (2003).Google Scholar
6. Shi, X., Kong, H., Li, C. P., Uher, C., Yang, J., Salvador, J. R., Wang, H., Chen, L., and Zhang, W.: Low Thermal Conductivity and High Thermoelectric Figure of Merit in n-type BaxYbyCo4Sb12 Double-Filled Skutterudites. Applied Physics Letters, 92, 182101 (2008).Google Scholar
7. Li, H., Tang, X., Zhang, Q., and Uher, C.: High performance InxCeyCo4Sb12 Thermoelectric Materials with In Situ Forming Nanostructured InSb Phase. Applied Physics Letters, 94, 102114 (2009).Google Scholar
8. Ballikaya, S., Wang, G., Sun, K., and Uher, C.: Thermoelectric Properties of Triple-Filled BaxYbyInzCo4Sb12 Skutterudites. Journal of Electronic Materials, 40, 570576 (2011).Google Scholar
9. Platzek, D., Zuber, A., Stiewe, C., Baehr, G., Reinshaus, P., and Mueller, E.: An Automated Microprobe for Temperature Dependent Spatial Scanning of the Seebeck Coefficient. Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Thermoelectrics, LaGrande-Motte, France, Aug 17-21 IEEE: New York, 2004, 528 (2003).Google Scholar
10. Wang, R. and Steinfink, H.: The Crystal Chemistry of Selected AB2 Rare Earth Compounds with Selenium, Tellurium, and Antimony. Inorganic Chemistry, 6, 1685 (1967).Google Scholar
11. He, T., Chen, J., Rosenfeld, H. D., and Subramanian, M. A.: Thermoelectric Properties of Indium-Filled Skutterudites. Chemistry of Materials, 18, 759 (2006).Google Scholar
12. Wei, P., Zhao, W.-Y., Dong, C.-L., Ma, B., and Zhang, Q.-J.: Thermal Stability of Barium and Indium Double-Filled Skutterudite Ba0.3In0.2Co3.95Ni0.05Sb12 Coated by SiO2 Nanoparticles. Journal of Electronic Materials, 39, 18031808, (2010).Google Scholar
13. Sesselmann, A.. Dasgupta, T., Kelm, K., Perlt, S., Zastrow, S. and Müller, E.: Transport Properties and Microstructure of Indium-Added Cobalt–Antimony-Based Skutterudites. Journal of Materials Research, 26(15) (2011), in press.Google Scholar
14. Fleurial, J., Caillat, T., and Borshchevsky, A.: Skutterudites: A New Class of Promising Thermoelectric Materials. XIII International Conference on Thermoelectrics (Kansas City, MO 1994), 40 (1994).Google Scholar