Thermoelectric Properties of Binary-Phased Nanocomposites

Abstract:

In order to increase the electrical conductivity greatly but maintain a large Seebeck coefficient and a low thermal conductivity simultaneously, the binary-phased LaCeFe₃CoSb₁₂-Sb nanocomposites composed of LaCeFe₃CoSb₁₂ skutterudite nanospheres and semimetal Sb microsized ribbons were fabricated via a hydro/solvo thermal route. The results suggest that the Sb powders result in a disordered structure during a hot-press process at its melting-point temperature and the disordered structure has been partly preserved into the room-temperature materials successfully. The Sb microsized ribbons enhance the electrical conductivity of the binary-phased materials largely, meanwhile the disordered structure increases the Seebeck coefficient obviously even though the thermal conductivity is also increased slightly. Consequently, the figure of merit of the binary-phased materials is improved significantly and the maximum value of 1.54 at 773 K has been realized for the LaCeFe₃CoSb₁₅ material.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volumes 809-810)
• Pages: 3-8
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.809-810.3
• Online since: December 2014
• Authors: Peng Xian Lu*
• Keywords: Binary-Phased Structure, Nanostructure, Skutterudite, Thermoelectrics

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