Thermoelectric material development. Final report

Technical Report · Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/56567· OSTI ID:56567

Vandersande, J W; Allevato, C; Caillat, T

A search was made for improved TE materials that could have higher efficiency than state-of-the-art SiGe alloys used in Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators. A new family of materials having the skutterudite structure was identified (cubic space group Im3, formula (Fe, Co, Ni)As{sub 3}). Properties of n-type IrSb{sub 3}, CoSb{sub 3}, and their solid solutions were investigated. Pt, Te, Tl, and In were used as dopants. The thermal conductivity was reduced by about 70% for the solid solutions vs the binary compounds. A maximum ZT of about 0.36 was measured on Co-rich solid solutions which is 160% improved over that of the binary compounds.

• Research Organization: Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AI03-89SF17905
• OSTI ID: 56567
• Report Number(s): DOE/SF/17905--T8; ON: DE95007890
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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