Origin of Inhomogeneity in Spark Plasma Sintered Bismuth Antimony Telluride Thermoelectric Nanocomposites

Shuang Cui; Enzheng Shi; Nicholas Kempf; Qingfeng Xing; Thomas Chasapis; Huazhang Zhu; Zhe Li; Je-Hyeong Bahk; G. Snyder; Yanliang Zhang; Renkun Chen; Yue Wu

doi:10.1007/s12274-019-2590-6

Origin of Inhomogeneity in Spark Plasma Sintered Bismuth Antimony Telluride Thermoelectric Nanocomposites

Shuang Cui, Enzheng Shi, Nicholas Kempf, Qingfeng Xing, Thomas Chasapis, Huazhang Zhu, Zhe Li, Je-Hyeong Bahk, G. Snyder, Yanliang Zhang, Renkun Chen, Yue Wu

Building Technologies and Science Center

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Abstract

Anisotropy and inhomogeneity are ubiquitous in spark plasma sintered thermoelectric devices. However, the origin of inhomogeneity in thermoelectric nanocomposites has rarely been investigated so far. Herein, we systematically study the impact of inhomogeneity in spark plasma sintered bismuth antimony telluride (BiSbTe) thermoelectric nanocomposites fabricated from solution-synthesized nanoplates. The figure of merit can reach 1.18, which, however, can be overestimated to 1.88 without considering the inhomogeneity. Our study reveals that the inhomogeneity in thermoelectric properties is attributed to the non-uniformity of porosity, textures and elemental distribution from electron backscatter diffraction and energy-dispersive spectroscopy characterizations. This finding suggests that the optimization of bulk material homogeneity should also be actively pursued in any future thermoelectric material research.

Original language	American English
Pages (from-to)	1339-1346
Number of pages	8
Journal	Nano Research
Volume	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-019-2590-6
State	Published - 2020

NREL Publication Number

NREL/JA-5500-75854

Keywords

bismuth antimony telluride
inhomogeneity
solution synthesis
thermoelectrics

Access to Document

10.1007/s12274-019-2590-6

Cite this

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title = "Origin of Inhomogeneity in Spark Plasma Sintered Bismuth Antimony Telluride Thermoelectric Nanocomposites",

abstract = "Anisotropy and inhomogeneity are ubiquitous in spark plasma sintered thermoelectric devices. However, the origin of inhomogeneity in thermoelectric nanocomposites has rarely been investigated so far. Herein, we systematically study the impact of inhomogeneity in spark plasma sintered bismuth antimony telluride (BiSbTe) thermoelectric nanocomposites fabricated from solution-synthesized nanoplates. The figure of merit can reach 1.18, which, however, can be overestimated to 1.88 without considering the inhomogeneity. Our study reveals that the inhomogeneity in thermoelectric properties is attributed to the non-uniformity of porosity, textures and elemental distribution from electron backscatter diffraction and energy-dispersive spectroscopy characterizations. This finding suggests that the optimization of bulk material homogeneity should also be actively pursued in any future thermoelectric material research.",

keywords = "bismuth antimony telluride, inhomogeneity, solution synthesis, thermoelectrics",

author = "Shuang Cui and Enzheng Shi and Nicholas Kempf and Qingfeng Xing and Thomas Chasapis and Huazhang Zhu and Zhe Li and Je-Hyeong Bahk and G. Snyder and Yanliang Zhang and Renkun Chen and Yue Wu",

year = "2020",

doi = "10.1007/s12274-019-2590-6",

language = "American English",

volume = "13",

pages = "1339--1346",

journal = "Nano Research",

issn = "1998-0124",

publisher = "Tsinghua University Press",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Origin of Inhomogeneity in Spark Plasma Sintered Bismuth Antimony Telluride Thermoelectric Nanocomposites

AU - Cui, Shuang

AU - Shi, Enzheng

AU - Kempf, Nicholas

AU - Xing, Qingfeng

AU - Chasapis, Thomas

AU - Zhu, Huazhang

AU - Li, Zhe

AU - Bahk, Je-Hyeong

AU - Snyder, G.

AU - Zhang, Yanliang

AU - Chen, Renkun

AU - Wu, Yue

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Anisotropy and inhomogeneity are ubiquitous in spark plasma sintered thermoelectric devices. However, the origin of inhomogeneity in thermoelectric nanocomposites has rarely been investigated so far. Herein, we systematically study the impact of inhomogeneity in spark plasma sintered bismuth antimony telluride (BiSbTe) thermoelectric nanocomposites fabricated from solution-synthesized nanoplates. The figure of merit can reach 1.18, which, however, can be overestimated to 1.88 without considering the inhomogeneity. Our study reveals that the inhomogeneity in thermoelectric properties is attributed to the non-uniformity of porosity, textures and elemental distribution from electron backscatter diffraction and energy-dispersive spectroscopy characterizations. This finding suggests that the optimization of bulk material homogeneity should also be actively pursued in any future thermoelectric material research.

AB - Anisotropy and inhomogeneity are ubiquitous in spark plasma sintered thermoelectric devices. However, the origin of inhomogeneity in thermoelectric nanocomposites has rarely been investigated so far. Herein, we systematically study the impact of inhomogeneity in spark plasma sintered bismuth antimony telluride (BiSbTe) thermoelectric nanocomposites fabricated from solution-synthesized nanoplates. The figure of merit can reach 1.18, which, however, can be overestimated to 1.88 without considering the inhomogeneity. Our study reveals that the inhomogeneity in thermoelectric properties is attributed to the non-uniformity of porosity, textures and elemental distribution from electron backscatter diffraction and energy-dispersive spectroscopy characterizations. This finding suggests that the optimization of bulk material homogeneity should also be actively pursued in any future thermoelectric material research.

KW - bismuth antimony telluride

KW - inhomogeneity

KW - solution synthesis

KW - thermoelectrics

U2 - 10.1007/s12274-019-2590-6

DO - 10.1007/s12274-019-2590-6

M3 - Article

SN - 1998-0124

VL - 13

SP - 1339

EP - 1346

JO - Nano Research

JF - Nano Research

ER -

Origin of Inhomogeneity in Spark Plasma Sintered Bismuth Antimony Telluride Thermoelectric Nanocomposites

Abstract

NREL Publication Number

Keywords

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