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Composition optimization of p-type skutterudites CeyFexCo4−xSb12 and YbyFexCo4−xSb12

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 May 2011

Ruiheng Liu ,
Pengfei Qiu ,
Xihong Chen ,
Xiangyang Huang  and
Lidong Chen
Ruiheng Liu
Affiliation:
CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China
Pengfei Qiu
Affiliation:
CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China
Xihong Chen*
Affiliation:
CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China
Xiangyang Huang
Affiliation:
CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China
Lidong Chen
Affiliation:
CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: xhchen@mail.sic.ac.cn
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Abstract

To answer the fundamental questions of p-type skutterudites, systematical study on the influence of chemical composition on the electrical transport properties of RyFexCo4−xSb12 (R = Ce and Yb) has been carried out. By adjusting the filling fraction of fillers, the optimized electrical properties are obtained at the specific Fe content. It is found that the hole concentration increases with Fe content. Fe doping can also enhance the effective mass of holes significantly, which is beneficial for improving electrical performance. Because of the limit of electron supply, for trivalent Ce filling system CeyFexCo4−xSb12, the maximum figure of merit (ZT) value is achieved when Fe content is around x = 3, and for divalent Yb filling system YbyFexCo4−xSb12, the maximum ZT value is obtained even at lower Fe content. At high temperature above 700 K, the bipolar diffusion leads to great increase of total thermal conductivity and therefore deteriorates the thermoelectric properties.

Keywords

Electrical propertiesHall effectThermoelectricity
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 26 , Issue 15: Focus Issue: Advances in Thermoelectric Materials , 14 August 2011 , pp. 1813 - 1819
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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