The temperature-dependent thermoelectric and structural properties of n-type filled skutterudites were measured from 300 K to about 650 K. In0.2Co4Sb12, and In0.2Ce0.05Yb0.1Co4Sb12 exhibited ZT values as high as 1.2 at 620 K and In0.2Ce0.15Co4Sb12 showed ZT values of ~1.4 at 675 K. The room temperature Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE at 473 K) of In0.2Ce0.15Co4Sb12, In0.2Co4Sb12, and In0.2Ce0.05Yb0.1Co4Sb12 compositions were found to be lower than that for the unfilled Co4Sb12 skutterudite material. It was discovered that thermal cycling of n-type In0.15Ce0.1Co4Sb12 and In0.2Ce0.17Co4Sb12 materials from 323 K to 673 K (200 cycles) actually increased their power factors by 14-36% at 510 K to 525 K without appreciably changing the Young’s modulus or the Poisson’s ratio. The transport and structural properties characterized in this work are critical to transitioning these materials into operating TE devices and systems.
Revised: May 21, 2013 |
Published: August 14, 2011
Citation
Biswas K., M.S. Good, K.C. Roberts, M. Subramanian, and T.J. Hendricks. 2011.Thermoelectric and Structural Properties of High-Performance In-based Skutterudites for High-Temperature Energy Recovery.Journal of Materials Research 26, no. 15:1827-1835.PNNL-SA-77560.