Search results for "Thermoelectric materials"
showing 10 items of 72 documents
Half-Heusler superlattices as model systems for nanostructured thermoelectrics
2015
The efficiency of thermoelectric materials is directly related to the dimensionless figure of merit , therefore, one of the means to improve ZT is to reduce the thermal conductivity. Our research focuses on half-Heusler superlattices (SLs) and the relationship between the SL period and the thermal conductivity. The cross-plane thermal conductivity of DC-sputtered TiNiSn/HfNiSn SLs was measured by the 3 method at room temperature and a clear reduction of was achieved for all SL periods, in particular for periods smaller than 20 nm. Moreover, the thermal conductivities of TiNiSn and HfNiSn single films display reduced values compared to the literature data for bulk materials. Furthermore, we …
Hole localization in thermoelectric half-Heusler (Zr0.5Hf0.5)Co(Sb1−xSn ) thin films
2019
Abstract The (Ti, Zr, Hf)Co(Sb 1 − x Snx) material class has recently come into focus as an attractive p-type high-temperature thermoelectric material. This study experimentally demonstrates that homogeneous, highly textured (Zr0.5Hf0.5)Co(Sb 1 − x Snx) thin films can be grown on single crystalline MgO. By varying the sputter power, samples with both positive and negative Seebeck coefficient can be grown. The underlying reason for the sign change is the segregation of Sn nano-inclusions, which lower the effective doping of the half-Heusler matrix. Similarly the Hall constant also switches sign at low temperatures, which is modeled assuming semi-metal behavior and low temperature hole locali…
Half-Heusler materials as model systems for phase-separated thermoelectrics
2015
Semiconducting half-Heusler compounds based on NiSn and CoSb have attracted attention because of their good performance as thermoelectric materials. Nanostructuring of the materials was experimentally established through phase separation in (T1−x′Tx″)T(M1−yMy′) alloys when mixing different transition metals (T, T′, T″) or main group elements (M, M′). The electric transport properties of such alloys depend not only on their micro- or nanostructure but also on the atomic-scale electronic structure. In the present work, the influence of the band structure and density of states on the electronic transport and thermoelectric properties is investigated in detail for the constituents of phase-sepa…
Microstructure and electric properties of low-pressure plasma sprayed β-FeSi 2 based coatings
2017
Abstract Thermoelectric material β-FeSi 2 based coating was fabricated by the technique low-pressure plasma spray (LPPS) on the Al 2 O 3 substrate from different alloy powders. During the process LPPS, the phase transformation had occurred through the peritectoid, eutectoid reaction and their inverse reaction. The grain size of the as-sprayed β-FeSi 2 doped Co coatings was reduced comparing with the original feedstock powders, which implied the thermal conductivity could effectively decreased by the LPPS process. The room temperature electrical conductivity showed metal and semiconductor properties on the as-sprayed and annealed coatings. This method and the results could solve the problems…
Half-Heusler compounds: novel materials for energy and spintronic applications
2012
Half-Heusler compounds are an impressive class of materials with a huge potential for different applications such as future energy applications and for spintronics. The semiconducting Heusler compounds can be identified by the number of valence electrons. The band gap can be tuned between 0 and 4 eV by the electronegativity difference of the constituents. Magnetism can be introduced in these compounds by using rare-earth elements, manganese or ‘electron’ doping. Thus, there is a great interest in the fields of thermoelectrics, solar cells and diluted magnetic semiconductors. The combination of different properties such as superconductivity and topological edge states leads to new multifunct…
<title>Ion and electron trapping: release and relaxation processes in fluoride crystals</title>
2001
The thermally stimulated relaxation (TSR) processes in CaF2, BaF2 and LiBaF3 crystals (X-ray irradiated at LNT or RT) have been investigated by means of the ionic conductivity, thermally stimulated (TS) ionic depolarization current (TSDC), TS current (TSC), TS luminescence (TSL) and thermal bleaching techniques. The ionic TSDC measurements evidence that under DC field fluorides accumulate large ionic space-charge (thermoelectric state is formed) as a result of the migrating anion interstitial and/or vacancy capture on defects. In the ionic conductivity region (290 - 650 K) the thermoelectric state anneals, and several wide and overlapping anionic TSDC peaks are detected. The ionic TSDC stag…
Solution Synthesis of a New Thermoelectric Zn1-xSb Nanophase and Its Structure Determination Using Automated Electron Diffraction Tomography
2010
Engineering materials with specific physical properties have recently focused on the effect of nanoscopic inhomogeneities at the 10 nm scale. Such features are expected to scatter medium- and long-wavelength phonons thereby lowering the thermal conductivity of the system. Low thermal conductivity is a prerequisite for effective thermoelectric materials, and the challenge is to limit the transport of heat by phonons, without simultaneously decreasing charge transport. A solution-phase technique was devised for synthesis of thermoelectric "Zn(4)Sb(3)" nanocrystals as a precursor for phase segregation into ZnSb and a new Zn-Sb intermetallic phase, Zn(1+delta)Sb, in a peritectoid reaction. Our …
Experimental and theoretical investigation of Cr1-xScxN solid solutions for thermoelectrics
2016
The ScN- and CrN-based transition-metal nitrides have recently emerged as a novel and unexpected class of materials for thermoelectrics. These materials constitute well-defined model systems for investigating mixing thermodynamics, phase stability, and band structure aiming for property tailoring. Here, we demonstrate an approach to tailor their thermoelectric properties by solid solutions. The trends in mixing thermodynamics and densities-of-states (DOS) of rocksalt-Cr1-xScxN solid solutions (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) are investigated by first-principles calculations, and Cr1-xScxN thin films are synthesized by magnetron sputtering. Pure CrN exhibits a high power factor, 1.7 × 10−3 W m−1 K−2 at 720 K, en…
Hybrids composites of NCCO/PEDOT for thermoelectric applications
2017
Abstract Organic materials are becoming a realistic roadway to fabricate efficient thermoelectric devices using environmental friendly materials. Such requirements are actually fulfilled by thermoelectric generators operating by conducting polymers, but also by hybrid materials. The combination of organic + inorganic compounds may exhibit a high electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient as well as lower thermal conductivity in order to efficiently generate thermoelectric power. In these hybrid compounds, perovskite-type oxides are a suitable election for the inorganic part since they have a high Seebeck coefficient although their electrical conductivity is usually low. Blending them w…
In Situ Synthesis of Conducting Polymers: A Novel Approach toward Polymer Thermoelectrics
2020
The efficient conversion of thermal energy into electricity by means of durable and scalable solid-state thermoelectric devices has been a well stablished aim. Electrically conducting polymers have...