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

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2011

A. Sesselmann ,
T. Dasgupta ,
C. Stiewe  and
E. Müller
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: andreas.sesselmann@dlr.de
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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.

Keywords

thermoelectricmicrostructurescanning electron microscopy (SEM)
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1329: Symposium I – Nanoscale Heat Transfer–Thermoelectrics, Thermophotovoltaics and Emerging Thermal Devices , 2011 , mrss11-1329-i12-03
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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References

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