Premium
Nanostructured thermoelectric oxides with low thermal conductivity
Author(s) -
Weidenkaff A.,
Robert R.,
Aguirre M. H.,
Bocher L.,
Schlapbach L.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
physica status solidi (rrl) – rapid research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.786
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1862-6270
pISSN - 1862-6254
DOI - 10.1002/pssr.200701185
Subject(s) - thermoelectric effect , thermoelectric materials , seebeck coefficient , materials science , crystallite , thermal conductivity , electrical resistivity and conductivity , ceramic , perovskite (structure) , pellets , conductivity , atmospheric temperature range , thermoelectric generator , chemical engineering , metallurgy , condensed matter physics , mineralogy , composite material , thermodynamics , chemistry , electrical engineering , physics , engineering
Complex metal oxides, such as e.g. perovskite‐type phases are developed as potential functional materials to improve the efficiency of thermoelectric converters. Among those, cobaltates with p‐type conductivity and n‐type manganates are considered for the realisation of a ceramic thermoelectric converter. Sintered pellets with the composition AMO 3– δ (A = Ln, RE; M = Co, Mn, Ni, Ti) and “Ca 3 Co 4 O 9 derivates” were synthesized and characterised concerning their thermoelectric properties in a broad temperature range. It was found that the Seebeck coefficient and the electrical conductivity do not depend on the dimensions of the crystallites, while the heat conductivity can be substantially lowered by decreasing the size of the crystalline domains in these systems. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)