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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1996

Properties of Single Crystalline Semiconducting CoSb3

A study of the thermoelectric properties of the skutterudite compound CoSb3 was carried out on single crystals grown by the Bridgman gradient freeze technique. p- and n-type samples were obtained over a wide range of carrier concentration. Undoped As-grown crystals show p-type conductivity while n-type samples were obtained by addition of Te or Pd. Samples were characterized by x-ray diffractometry, electron microprobe analysis, and density measurements. The physical properties of CoSb3 such as linear thermal expansion coefficient, sound velocity, and Debye temperature were also determined and are presented. Seebeck coefficient, electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity, and Hall effect measurements were performed between room temperature and about 900 K. Exceptionally high Hall mobilities were obtained on p-type samples with a maximum room-temperature Hall mobility of 3300 sq cm/V.s at a carrier concentration of 1 x 10(exp 17)/cc. The results of the transport property measurements are discussed and are in agreement with some recent predictions based on band structure calculations. The potential of CoSb3 for thermoelectric applications is evaluated.

Caillat, T.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on CoSb3 by Materials Project

CoSb3 is Skutterudite structured and crystallizes in the cubic Im-3 space group. The structure is three-dimensional. Co2+ is bonded to six equivalent Sb+0.67- atoms to form corner-sharing CoSb6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles are 52°. All Co–Sb bond lengths are 2.54 Å. Sb+0.67- is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Co2+ atoms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on CoSb3(PO4)6 by Materials Project

CoSb3(PO4)6 crystallizes in the trigonal R3 space group. The structure is three-dimensional. Co3+ is bonded to six O2- atoms to form CoO6 octahedra that share corners with six PO4 tetrahedra. There is three shorter (1.91 Å) and three longer (1.92 Å) Co–O bond length. There are three inequivalent Sb5+ sites. In the first Sb5+ site, Sb5+ is bonded to six O2- atoms to form SbO6 octahedra that share corners with six PO4 tetrahedra. There is three shorter (1.96 Å) and three longer (1.97 Å) Sb–O bond length. In the second Sb5+ site, Sb5+ is bonded to six O2- atoms to form SbO6 octahedra that share corners with six PO4 tetrahedra. All Sb–O bond lengths are 1.97 Å. In the third Sb5+ site, Sb5+ is bonded to six O2- atoms to form SbO6 octahedra that share corners with six PO4 tetrahedra. There is three shorter (1.96 Å) and three longer (1.97 Å) Sb–O bond length. There are two inequivalent P5+ sites. In the first P5+ site, P5+ is bonded to four O2- atoms to form PO4 tetrahedra that share a cornercorner with one CoO6 octahedra and corners with three SbO6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedra tilt angles range from 28–37°. There are a spread of P–O bond distances ranging from 1.50–1.56 Å. In the second P5+ site, P5+ is bonded to four O2- atoms to form PO4 tetrahedra that share a cornercorner with one CoO6 octahedra and corners with three SbO6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedra tilt angles range from 26–34°. There are a spread of P–O bond distances ranging from 1.50–1.56 Å. There are eight inequivalent O2- sites. In the first O2- site, O2- is bonded in a bent 150 degrees geometry to one Sb5+ and one P5+ atom. In the second O2- site, O2- is bonded in a bent 150 degrees geometry to one Sb5+ and one P5+ atom. In the third O2- site, O2- is bonded in a bent 150 degrees geometry to one Co3+ and one P5+ atom. In the fourth O2- site, O2- is bonded in a bent 150 degrees geometry to one Sb5+ and one P5+ atom. In the fifth O2- site, O2- is bonded in a bent 150 degrees geometry to one Co3+ and one P5+ atom. In the sixth O2- site, O2- is bonded in a bent 150 degrees geometry to one Sb5+ and one P5+ atom. In the seventh O2- site, O2- is bonded in a bent 150 degrees geometry to one Sb5+ and one P5+ atom. In the eighth O2- site, O2- is bonded in a bent 150 degrees geometry to one Sb5+ and one P5+ atom.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on In(CoSb3)20 by Materials Project

In(CoSb3)20 is Skutterudite-derived structured and crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/m space group. The structure is three-dimensional. there are six inequivalent Co sites. In the first Co site, Co is bonded to six Sb atoms to form CoSb6 octahedra that share corners with six CoSb6 octahedra and a faceface with one InSb12 cuboctahedra. The corner-sharing octahedra tilt angles range from 52–53°. There are a spread of Co–Sb bond distances ranging from 2.53–2.55 Å. In the second Co site, Co is bonded to six Sb atoms to form corner-sharing CoSb6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles are 52°. There are one shorter (2.53 Å) and five longer (2.54 Å) Co–Sb bond lengths. In the third Co site, Co is bonded to six equivalent Sb atoms to form corner-sharing CoSb6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles are 52°. All Co–Sb bond lengths are 2.54 Å. In the fourth Co site, Co is bonded to six Sb atoms to form corner-sharing CoSb6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedra tilt angles range from 52–53°. There are a spread of Co–Sb bond distances ranging from 2.52–2.55 Å. In the fifth Co site, Co is bonded to six Sb atoms to form corner-sharing CoSb6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles are 52°. There are one shorter (2.53 Å) and five longer (2.54 Å) Co–Sb bond lengths. In the sixth Co site, Co is bonded to six Sb atoms to form CoSb6 octahedra that share corners with six CoSb6 octahedra and faces with two equivalent InSb12 cuboctahedra. The corner-sharing octahedra tilt angles range from 52–53°. All Co–Sb bond lengths are 2.54 Å. In is bonded to twelve Sb atoms to form InSb12 cuboctahedra that share faces with eight CoSb6 octahedra. There are ten shorter (3.39 Å) and two longer (3.40 Å) In–Sb bond lengths. There are eighteen inequivalent Sb sites. In the first Sb site, Sb is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two Co atoms. In the second Sb site, Sb is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two Co atoms. In the third Sb site, Sb is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two Co atoms. In the fourth Sb site, Sb is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two Co atoms. In the fifth Sb site, Sb is bonded in a distorted bent 120 degrees geometry to two Co and one In atom. In the sixth Sb site, Sb is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two Co and one In atom. In the seventh Sb site, Sb is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two Co atoms. In the eighth Sb site, Sb is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two Co atoms. In the ninth Sb site, Sb is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two Co atoms. In the tenth Sb site, Sb is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Co atoms. In the eleventh Sb site, Sb is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Co atoms. In the twelfth Sb site, Sb is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Co atoms. In the thirteenth Sb site, Sb is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Co atoms. In the fourteenth Sb site, Sb is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Co and one In atom. In the fifteenth Sb site, Sb is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Co atoms. In the sixteenth Sb site, Sb is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Co atoms. In the seventeenth Sb site, Sb is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Co atoms. In the eighteenth Sb site, Sb is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Co and one In atom.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on Tl(CoSb3)16 by Materials Project

Tl(CoSb3)16 is Skutterudite-derived structured and crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/m space group. The structure is three-dimensional. there are five inequivalent Co2+ sites. In the first Co2+ site, Co2+ is bonded to six Sb+0.69- atoms to form CoSb6 octahedra that share corners with six CoSb6 octahedra and a faceface with one TlSb12 cuboctahedra. The corner-sharing octahedra tilt angles range from 52–53°. There are a spread of Co–Sb bond distances ranging from 2.53–2.55 Å. In the second Co2+ site, Co2+ is bonded to six Sb+0.69- atoms to form corner-sharing CoSb6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles are 52°. There are one shorter (2.53 Å) and five longer (2.54 Å) Co–Sb bond lengths. In the third Co2+ site, Co2+ is bonded to six Sb+0.69- atoms to form corner-sharing CoSb6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedra tilt angles range from 51–53°. There are two shorter (2.53 Å) and four longer (2.54 Å) Co–Sb bond lengths. In the fourth Co2+ site, Co2+ is bonded to six Sb+0.69- atoms to form corner-sharing CoSb6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles are 52°. All Co–Sb bond lengths are 2.54 Å. In the fifth Co2+ site, Co2+ is bonded to six Sb+0.69- atoms to form CoSb6 octahedra that share corners with six CoSb6 octahedra and faces with two equivalent TlSb12 cuboctahedra. The corner-sharing octahedra tilt angles range from 52–53°. There are two shorter (2.54 Å) and four longer (2.55 Å) Co–Sb bond lengths. Tl1+ is bonded to twelve Sb+0.69- atoms to form TlSb12 cuboctahedra that share faces with eight CoSb6 octahedra. There are four shorter (3.40 Å) and eight longer (3.41 Å) Tl–Sb bond lengths. There are sixteen inequivalent Sb+0.69- sites. In the first Sb+0.69- site, Sb+0.69- is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two Co2+ atoms. In the second Sb+0.69- site, Sb+0.69- is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two Co2+ atoms. In the third Sb+0.69- site, Sb+0.69- is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two Co2+ atoms. In the fourth Sb+0.69- site, Sb+0.69- is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two Co2+ and one Tl1+ atom. In the fifth Sb+0.69- site, Sb+0.69- is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two Co2+ and one Tl1+ atom. In the sixth Sb+0.69- site, Sb+0.69- is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two Co2+ atoms. In the seventh Sb+0.69- site, Sb+0.69- is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two Co2+ atoms. In the eighth Sb+0.69- site, Sb+0.69- is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two Co2+ atoms. In the ninth Sb+0.69- site, Sb+0.69- is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Co2+ atoms. In the tenth Sb+0.69- site, Sb+0.69- is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Co2+ atoms. In the eleventh Sb+0.69- site, Sb+0.69- is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Co2+ atoms. In the twelfth Sb+0.69- site, Sb+0.69- is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Co2+ and one Tl1+ atom. In the thirteenth Sb+0.69- site, Sb+0.69- is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Co2+ atoms. In the fourteenth Sb+0.69- site, Sb+0.69- is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Co2+ atoms. In the fifteenth Sb+0.69- site, Sb+0.69- is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Co2+ atoms. In the sixteenth Sb+0.69- site, Sb+0.69- is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Co2+ and one Tl1+ atom.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2006

Aerogels for Thermal Insulation of Thermoelectric Devices

Silica aerogels have been shown to be attractive for use as thermal-insulation materials for thermoelectric devices. It is desirable to thermally insulate the legs of thermoelectric devices to suppress lateral heat leaks that degrade thermal efficiency. Aerogels offer not only high thermal- insulation effectiveness, but also a combination of other properties that are especially advantageous in thermoelectric- device applications. Aerogels are synthesized by means of sol-gel chemistry, which is ideal for casting insulation into place. As the scale of the devices to be insulated decreases, the castability from liquid solutions becomes increasingly advantageous: By virtue of castability, aerogel insulation can be made to encapsulate devices having any size from macroscopic down to nanoscopic and possibly having complex, three-dimensional shapes. Castable aerogels can permeate voids having characteristic dimensions as small as nanometers. Hence, practically all the void space surrounding the legs of thermoelectric devices could be filled with aerogel insulation, making the insulation highly effective. Because aerogels have the lowest densities of any known solid materials, they would add very little mass to the encapsulated devices. The thermal-conductivity values of aerogels are among the lowest reported for any material, even after taking account of the contributions of convection and radiation (in addition to true thermal conduction) to overall effective thermal conductivities. Even in ambient air, the contribution of convection to effective overall thermal conductivity of an aerogel is extremely low because of the highly tortuous nature of the flow paths through the porous aerogel structure. For applications that involve operating temperatures high enough to give rise to significant amounts of infrared radiation, opacifiers could be added to aerogels to reduce the radiative contributions to overall effective thermal conductivities. One example of an opacifier is carbon black, which absorbs infrared radiation. Another example of an opacifier is micron- sized metal flakes, which reflect infrared radiation. Encapsulation in cast aerogel insulation also can help prolong the operational lifetimes of thermoelectric devices that must operate in vacuum and that contain SiGe or such advanced skutterudite thermoelectric materials as CoSb3 and CeFe3.5Co0.5Sb12. The primary cause of deterioration of most thermoelectric materials is thermal decomposition or sublimation (e.g., sublimation of Sb from CoSb3) at typical high operating temperatures. Aerogel present near the surface of CoSb3 can impede the outward transport of Sb vapor by establishing a highly localized, equilibrium Sb vapor atmosphere at the surface of the CoSb3.

Sakamoto, Jeffrey↗
NASA NTRS2007

Coating Thermoelectric Devices To Suppress Sublimation

A technique for suppressing sublimation of key elements from skutterudite compounds in advanced thermoelectric devices has been demonstrated. The essence of the technique is to cover what would otherwise be the exposed skutterudite surface of such a device with a thin, continuous film of a chemically and physically compatible metal. Although similar to other sublimation-suppression techniques, this technique has been specifically tailored for application to skutterudite antimonides. The primary cause of deterioration of most thermoelectric materials is thermal decomposition or sublimation - one or more elements sublime from the hot side of a thermoelectric couple, changing the stoichiometry of the device. Examples of elements that sublime from their respective thermoelectric materials are Ge from SiGe, Te from Pb/Te, and now Sb from skutterudite antimonides. The skutterudite antimonides of primary interest are CoSb3 [electron-donor (n) type] and CeFe(3-x)Co(x)Sb12 [electron-acceptor (p) type]. When these compounds are subjected to typical operating conditions [temperature of 700 C and pressure <10(exp -5) torr (0.0013 Pa)], Sb sublimes from their surfaces, with the result that Sb depletion layers form and advance toward their interiors. As the depletion layer advances in a given device, the change in stoichiometry diminishes the thermal-to-electric conversion efficiency of the device. The problem, then, is to prevent sublimation, or at least reduce it to an acceptably low level. In preparation for an experiment on suppression of sublimation, a specimen of CoSb3 was tightly wrapped in a foil of niobium, which was selected for its chemical stability. In the experiment, the wrapped specimen was heated to a temperature of 700 C in a vacuum of residual pressure <10(exp -5) torr (0.0013 Pa), then cooled and sectioned. Examination of the sectioned specimen revealed that no depletion layer had formed, indicating the niobium foil prevented sublimation of antimony at 700 C. This was a considerable improvement, considering that uncoated CoSb3 had been found to decompose to form the lowest antimonide at the surface at only 600 C. Evidently, because the mean free path of Sb at the given temperature and pressure was of the order of tens of centimeters, any barrier closer than tens of centimeters (as was the niobium foil) would have suppressed transport of Sb vapor, thereby suppressing sublimation of Sb

Sakamoto, Jeffrey↗
NASA NTRS1995

Preparation and Some Properties of N-Type IrxCo1-xSB3 Solid Solutions

A number of studies have been recently devoted to the preparation and characterization of binary skutterudite materials to investigate their potential as advanced thermoelectric materials. These studies show that the potential of these binary skutterudite compounds is limited because of their relatively large thermal conductivity. In order to achieve high thermoelectric figure of merits for these materials, efforts should focus on thermal conductivity reduction. Recent results obtained on n-type CoSb3 and IrSb3 compounds have shown that n-type skutterudite materials might have a better potential for thermoelectric applications than p-type materials. The thermoelectric properties of p-type IrxCo1-xSb3 solid solutions have been recently investigated and it was shown that a substantial reduction in thermal conductivity was achieved. We prepared and measured some properties of n-type IrxCo1-xSb3 solid solutions. The samples are characterized by large Seebeck coefficient values and significantly lower thermal conductivity values than those measured on the binary compounds CoSb3 and IrSb3. A maximum ZT value of about 0.4 was obtained at a temperature of about 300(deg)C. Improvements in the figure of merit are possible in this system by optimization of the doping level.

Solid Solutions↗
NASA NTRS1994

High-Performance Thermoelectric Semiconductors

Figures of merit almost double current state-of-art thermoelectric materials. IrSb3 is semiconductor found to exhibit exceptional thermoelectric properties. CoSb3 and RhSb3 have same skutterudite crystallographic structure as IrSb3, and exhibit exceptional transport properties expected to contribute to high thermoelectric performance. These three compounds form solid solutions. Combination of properties offers potential for development of new high-performance thermoelectric materials for more efficient thermoelectric power generators, coolers, and detectors.

Fleurial, Jean-Pierre↗
NASA NTRS1998

Thermoelectric materials development

A systematic search for advanced thermoelectric materials was initiated at JPL several years ago to evaluate candidate materials which includes consideration of the following property attributes: (1) semiconducting properties; (2) large Seebeck coefficient; (3) high carrier mobility and high electrical conductivity; (4) low lattice thermal conductivity; and (5) chemical stability and low vapor pressure. Through this candidate screening process, JPL identified several families of materials as promising candidates for improved thermoelectric materials including the skutterudite family. As part of an ongoing effort to develop skutterudite materials with lower thermal conductivity values, several solid solutions and filled skutterudite materials were investigated under the effort sponsored by DOE. The efforts have primarily focused on: (1) study of existence and properties of solid solutions between the binary compounds CoSb3 and IrSb3, and RuSb2Te, and (2) CeFe(4-x)Sb12 based filled compositions. For the solid solutions, the lattice thermal conductivity reduction was expected to be reduced by the introduction of the Te and Ru atoms while in the case of CeFe(4-x)Ru(x)Sb12 based filled compositions. For the solid solutions, the lattice thermal conductivity reduction was expected to be reduced by the introduction of the Te and Ru atoms while in the case of CeFe(4-x)Ru(x)Sb12 filled compositions, the reduction would be caused by the rattling of Ce atoms located in the empty voids of the skutterudite structure and the substitution of Fe for Ru. The details of the sample preparation and characterization of their thermoelectric properties are reported in this report.

Fleurial, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Preparation and Thermoelectric Properties of the Skutterudite-Related Phase Ru(0.5)Pd(0.5)Sb3

A new skutterudite phase Ru(0.5)Pd(0.5)Sb3 was prepared. This new phase adds to a large number of already known materials with the skutterudite structure which have shown good potential for thermoelectric applications. Single phase, polycrystalline samples were prepared and characterized by x-ray analysis, electron probe microanalysis, density, sound velocity, thermal-expansion coefficient, and differential thermal analysis measurements. Ru(0.5)Pd(0.5)Sb3 has a cubic lattice, space group Im3 (T(sup 5, sub h)), with a = 9.298 A and decomposes at about 920 K. The Seebeck coefficient, the electrical resistivity, the Hall effect, and the thermal conductivity were measured on hot-pressed samples over a wide range of temperatures. Preliminary results show that Ru(0.5)Pd(0.5)Sb3 behaves as a heavily doped semiconductor with an estimated band gap of about 0.6 eV. The lattice thermal conductivity of Ru(0.5)Pd(0.5)Sb3 is substantially lower than that of the binary isostructural compounds CoSb3 and IrSb3. The unusually low thermal conductivity might be explained by additional hole and charge transfer phonon scattering in this material. The potential of this material for thermoelectric applications is discussed.

Caillat, T.↗
NASA NTRS2000

A New High Efficiency Segmented Thermoelectric Unicouple

To achieve high thermal-to-electric energy conversion efficiency, it is desirable to operate thermoelectric generator devices over large temperature gradients and also to maximize the thermoelectric performance of the materials used to build the devices. However, no single thermoelectric material is suitable for use over a very wide range of temperatures (approx. 300 - 1000 K). It is therefore necessary to use different materials in each temperature range where they possess optimum performance. This can be achieved in two ways: 1) multistage thermoelectric generators where each stage operates over a fixed temperature difference and is electrically insulated but thermally in contact with the other stages and 2) segmented generators where the p- and n-legs are formed of different segments joined in series. The concept of integrating new thermoelectric materials developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) into a segmented thermoelectric generator has been presented in detail in earlier publications . This new generator is expected to operate over a 300-973 K temperature difference and will use novel segmented legs based on a combination of state-of-the-art thermoelectric materials and novel p-type Zn4Sb3, p-type CeFe4Sb12-based alloys and n-type CoSb3-based alloys. An increase in the conversion efficiency of about 60% is expected compared to conventional Bi2Te3- and PbTe-based generators. We present in this paper the latest experimental results from the bonding studies between the different segments of the p-legs, n-legs, and p-leg to n-leg interconnect. Evaluation of the bond quality was done by measuring the contact resistance across the joints as well as by detailed microstructure investigations to reveal any potential interdiffusion. Among the materials investigated as inter-layers between the different segments of the legs, Pd-Ag joining alloys have been found to provide mechanically stable and low electrical resistance bonds.

Caillat, T.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Aerogel/Particle Composites for Thermoelectric Devices

Optimizing solution chemistry and the addition of titania and fumed silica powder reduces shrinkage. These materials would serve to increase thermal efficiency by providing thermal insulation to suppress lateral heat leaks. They would also serve to prolong operational lifetime by suppressing sublimation of certain constituents of thermoelectric materials (e.g., sublimation of Sb from CoSb3) at typical high operating temperatures. [The use of pure silica aerogels as cast-in-place thermal-insulation and sublimation-suppression materials was described in "Aerogels for Thermal Insulation of Thermoelectric Devices" (NPO-40630), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 30, No. 7 (July 2006), page 50.] A silica aerogel is synthesized in a solgel process that includes preparation of a silica sol, gelation of the sol, and drying of the gel in a solvent at a supercritical temperature and pressure. The utility of pure silica aerogel is diminished by a tendency to shrink (and, therefore, also to crack) during the gelation and supercritical-drying stages. Moreover, to increase suppression of sublimation, it is advantageous to make an aerogel having greater density, but shrinkage and cracking tend to increase with density. A composite material of the type under investigation consists mostly of titania oxide powder particles and a small addition of fumed silica powder, which are mixed into the sol along with other ingredients prior to the gelation stage of processing. The silica aerogel and fumed silica act as a binder, gluing the titania particles together. It is believed that the addition of fumed silica stiffens the aerogel network and reduces shrinkage during the supercritical-drying stage. Minimization of shrinkage enables establishment of intimate contact between thermoelectric legs and the composite material, thereby maximizing the effectiveness of the material for thermal insulation and suppression of sublimation. To some extent, the properties of the composite can be tailored via the proportions of titania and other ingredients. In particular (see figure), the addition of a suitably large proportion of titania (e.g., 0.6 g/cu cm) along with a 10-percent increase in the amount of tetraethylorthosilicate [TEOS (an ingredient of the sol)] to an aerogel component having a density 40 mg/cm3makes it possible to cast a high-average-density (>0.1 g/cm3) aerogel/particle composite having low shrinkage (2.3 percent).

Paik, Jong-Ah↗
NASA NTRS2015

Filled Co (sub X) Ni (sub 4-x) Sb (sub 12-y) Sn (sub Y) Skutterudites: Processing and Thermoelectric Properties

Skutterudites have proven to be a useful thermoelectric system as a result of their enhanced figure of merit (ZT1), cheap material cost, favorable mechanical properties, and good thermal stability. The majority of skutterudite interest in recent years has been focused on binary skutterudites like CoSb3 or CoAs3. Binary skutterudites are often double and triple filled, with a range of elements from the lanthanide series, in order to reduce the lattice component of thermal conductivity. Ternary and quaternary skutterudites, such as Co4Ge6Se6 or Ni4Sb8Sn4, provide additional paths to tune the electronic structure. The thermal conductivity can further be improved in these complex skutterudites by the introduction of fillers. The Co (sub X) Ni (sub 4-x) Sb (sub 12-y) Sn (sub Y) system has been investigated as both a p- and n-type thermoelectric material, and is stable up to 200 degrees Centigrade. Yb, Ce, and Dy fillers have been introduced into the skutterudite to study the influence of both the type and the quantity of fillers on processing conditions and thermoelectric properties. The system was processed through a multi-step technique that includes solidification, mechano-chemical alloying, and hot pressing which will be discussed along with thermoelectric transport properties.

Thermoelectricity↗
NASA NTRS2016

Filled Nd(sub z) Fe(sub x) Co(sub 4-x) Sb(sub 12-y) Ge(sub y) Skutterudites: Processing and Thermoelectric Properties

Skutterudites have proven to be a useful thermoelectric system as a result of their enhanced figure of merit (ZT1), cheap material cost, favorable mechanical properties, and good thermal stability. The majority of skutterudite interest in recent years has been focused on binary skutterudites like CoSb3. Binary skutterudites are often double and triple filled, with a range of elements from the lanthanide series, in order to reduce the lattice component of thermal conductivity. Ternary and quaternary skutterudites, such as Co4Ge6Se6 or Ni4Sb8Sn4, provide additional paths to tune the electronic structure. The thermal conductivity can further be improved in these complex skutterudites by the introduction of fillers. The Nd (sub z) Fe (sub x) Co (sub 4-x) Sb (sub 12-y)Ge (sub y) system has been investigated as a p-type thermoelectric material, and is stable up to 600 degrees Centigrade. The influence of Fe and Ge content, along with filler Nd, was investigated on thermoelectric transport properties. In addition to the chemical influence on properties, some processing details of the system will also be addressed.

Electical Conductivity↗
NASA NTRS2016

Filled Nd(z)Fe(x)Co(4-x)Sb(12-y)Ge(y) Skutterudites: Processing and Thermoelectric Properties

Skutterudites have proven to be a useful thermoelectric system as a result of their enhanced figure of merit (ZT1), cheap material cost, favorable mechanical properties, and good thermal stability. The majority of skutterudite interest in recent years has been focused on binary skutterudites like CoSb3. Binary skutterudites are often double and triple filled, with a range of elements from the lanthanide series, in order to reduce the lattice component of thermal conductivity. Ternary and quaternary skutterudites, such as Co4Ge6Se6 or Ni4Sb8Sn4, provide additional paths to tune the electronic structure. The thermal conductivity can further be improved in these complex skutterudites by the introduction of fillers. The Nd(z)Fe(x)Co(4-x)Sb(12-y)Ge(y) system has been investigated as a p-type thermoelectric material, and is stable up to 600 C. The influence of Fe and Ge content, along with filler Nd, was investigated on thermoelectric transport properties. In addition to the chemical influence on properties, some processing details of the system will also be addressed.

Thermoelectric↗