Cold Spray Deposition of Thermoelectric Materials

Journal Article · Wed Apr 08 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · JOM. Journal of the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-020-04151-2· OSTI ID:1647447

Baker, Alexander A.  ^[1]; Thuss, Richard ^[2]; Woollett, Nathan ^[1]; Maich, Alyssa ^[3]; Stavrou, Elissaios  ^[1]; McCall, Scott K. ^[1]; Radousky, Harry B. ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
2. TTEC Thermoelectric Technologies, Berryville, VA (United States)
3. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Univ. of the Pacific, Stockton, CA (United States)

Thermoelectric materials convert heat flux to electricity (or vice versa as Peltier coolers); however, their application to harvest waste heat is limited by challenges in fabrication and materials optimization. In this work, cold-spray deposition is used as an additive manufacturing technique to fabricate p- and n-type Bi₂Te₃, on substrates ranging from quartz to aluminum. The sprayed material has a randomly oriented microstructure largely free from pores (> 99.5% dense), and deposition is achieved without substantial compositional changes. Furthermore, the Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity are largely preserved through the spray process, but the defects introduced during deposition significantly increase electrical resistivity. Defects can be removed, and compressive strain relaxed by a post-deposition anneal, which leads to Bi₂Te₃ blocks with a typical ZT of 0.3 at 100°C. Generators fabricated on sheets or pipes made of copper compare favorably with similar designs constructed using bulk Bi₂Te₃, displaying a wider operating temperature range. Thus, these results demonstrate the power and versatility of cold-spray additive manufacturing and provide a pathway toward fabrication of thermoelectric generators in complex geometries that are inaccessible to generators made by traditional approaches.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC52-07NA27344; AC02-05CH11231; AC02-06CH11357; EAR-1634415; FG02-94ER14466
• OSTI ID: 1647447
• Report Number(s): LLNL-JRNL-778017; 971868
• Journal Information: JOM. Journal of the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, Vol. 72, Issue 8; ISSN 1047-4838
• Publisher: Springer
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE