Qualifying the Role of Indium in the Multiple-Filled Ce0.1InxYb0.2Co4Sb12 Skutterudite

Inorganics

Jennifer Graff¹  Jian He² 

[1]118 Kinard Laboratory, Materials Science and Engineering Department, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA

[2]118 Kinard Laboratory, Physics and Astronomy Department, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA

[3] E-Mail:

关键词: thermoelectric;    thermopower;    electrical conductivity;    multiple-filled skutterudites;   

DOI  :  10.3390/inorganics2020168

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Literature confirms an improvement in the overall TE properties due to the in situ InSb nano-dispersed phases located along the grain boundaries in several double-filled In_xY_zCo₄Sb₁₂ skutterudites. However, the single-filled In_xCo₄Sb₁₂ reports contribute enhancement in TE properties solely on the nature of In as a void filler. To qualify the effect of In on the TE properties on multiple-filled skutterudites several multiple-filled Ce_0.1In_xYb_0.2Co₄Sb₁₂ skutterudite samples, with nominal composition Ce_0.1In_yYb_0.2Co₄Sb₁₂ (0 ≤ y ≤ 0.2), were synthesized. A double-filled base-line sample Ce_0.1Yb_0.2Co₄Sb₁₂ was also synthesized and characterized to create a much fuller depiction of the nature of In and its impact on the TE properties of the filled Co₄Sb₁₂-based skutterudite materials. Our results confirm that small amounts of In can be effective at increasing electrical conductivity in the multiple-filled Ce_0.1In_yYb_0.2Co₄Sb₁₂ skutterudite. An increased mobility and thus electrical conductivity result in a 15% increase in the dimensionless Figure of Merit, ZT, in the nominal sample composition, Ce_0.1In_0.05Yb_0.2Co₄Sb₁₂, which exhibits a state of the art ZT > 1.4 at T = 820 K.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
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