[Back]

E. Alleno, D. Berardan, C. Godart, M. Puyet, B. Lenoir, R. Lackner, E. Bauer, L. Girard, D. Ravot:
"Double filling in skutterudites: A promising path to improved thermoelectric properties";
Physica B: Condensed Matter, 383 (2006), 103 - 106.

Double filling in skutterudites: A promising path to improved thermoelectric properties

E. Alleno a, D. Bérardan a, C. Godart a, M. Puyet b, B. Lenoir b, R. Lackner c, E. Bauer c, L. Girard d and D. Ravot d

a LCMTR-CNRS, ISCSA, 2-8 rue H. Dunant, 94320 THIAIS, France
b LPM, UMR7556, ENSMN, Parc de Saurupt, 54042 Nancy, France
c Institute of Solid State Physics, TU Vienna, A-1040 Vienna, Austria
d LPMC, UMR5617, Université de Montpellier 2, 34095 Montpellier, France

Available online 11 May 2006.

Abstract

We have investigated the thermoelectric properties of the Ce_0.9-yYb_yFe₄Sb₁₂ series as well as those of a few compounds in the series Ce_y/2Yb_y/2Fe_4-xCo_xSb₁₂. In the former series, increasing the Yb fraction decreases the resistivity and the Seebeck coefficient. These effects are related to the fact that Yb is not trivalent in this series. In Ce_0.40Yb_0.53Fe₄Sb₁₂, the phonon part of the thermal conductivity is strongly reduced compared to Ce_0.85Fe₄Sb₁₂, leading to a larger figure of merit. We think that the increase of the mass and bonding fluctuations on the rare-earth site would be the main reason for this reduction. In the latter series, an extrapolated value of ZT=0.95 at 800 K was obtained in not yet optimized Ce_0.44Yb_0.32Fe_3.02Co_0.98Sb₁₂.

Keywords: Skutterudites; Seebeck coefficient; Electrical resistivity; Thermal conductivity; Thermoelectricity

PACS classification codes: 63.20.Pw; 72.15.Eb; 72.15.Gd; 72.15.Jf

Physica B: Condensed Matter
Volume 383, Issue 1 , 15 August 2006, Pages 103-106
Proceedings of the Third Hiroshima Workshop on Novel Functional Materials with Multinary Freedoms

http://aleph.ub.tuwien.ac.at/F?base=tuw01&func=find-c&ccl_term=AC06588001

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physb.2006.03.068