Ink Casting and 3D‐Extrusion Printing of Yb 14 MnSb 11 for High‐Temperature Thermoelectric Material
Abstract Complex shapes are created from Yb 14 MnSb 11 , a high‐temperature thermoelectric Zintl phase, via a two‐step process: i) layer‐by‐layer 3D‐extrusion of ink containing partially‐reacted powders which are ball‐milled from a blend of Yb, MnSb, and Sb powders; ii) heat treatment to synthesize the ternary compound Yb 14 MnSb 11 and densify the extruded powders. A high phase purity for Yb 14 MnSb 11 (83–94%) is achieved in both cast and 3D‐extruded ink specimens via a solid‐state reaction between Yb, MnSb, and Yb 4 Sb 3 during reactive sintering. Pressure‐free sintering at temperatures of 1200–1400 °C densifies the powders to 82% relative density but can also induce the decomposition of the Yb 14 MnSb 11 phase due to Yb sublimation. A process window with optimized sintering temperature and time is identified, achieving both low porosity and high phase purity and reaching a maximum zT = 0.61 at 1000 °C, about half of the maximum zT value for bulk Yb 14 MnSb 11 made via conventional processes (pressure sintering of precursor powders). The present approach – direct ink writing of ball‐milled powders, combined with reactive sintering – is a scalable and affordable method to fabricate thermoelectric legs with intricate 3D shapes, for enhanced performances in high‐temperature thermoelectric applications.