Thermoelectric materials are currently being researched as a source of energy in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The efficiency of these materials depends on their Seebeck coefficient, electrical resistivity, and thermal conductivity, as well as the absolute temperature. Cobalt oxides (Ca3Co4O9+delta) have been researched extensively as potential thermoelectric materials because of their high Seebeck coefficient and low electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity. Systems have been studied ...
This article studies the effect of dispersion of Cu2O nanoparticles on the thermoelectric properties of Ba0.4Co4Sb12 and Sn0.4Ba0.4Co4Sb12 skutterudites. It was found that the dispersion of these nanoparticles resulted in an increased thermoelectric efficiency due to decreased electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity. The figure of merit for Cu2O dispersed Ba0.4Co4Sb12 reached a maximum value of 0.92 at 573 K. This value represents a ...
The potential for the use of silica aerogels doped with TiO2 nanowires as thermal insulators was evaluated. It was found that the TiO2-doped aerogels showed good thermal insulation properties and that other desirable properties were retained upon the addition of TiO2 nanowires....
Seven different types of nanocrystals were used as additives in aluminosilicate bricks to determine if this is a valid method of decreasing the thermal diffusivity of the bricks for use as plant coating in the iron and steel industries. Each type of nanocrystal was added in concentration percentages of 0.5, 1, and 2 wt. % to determine the effect of concentration on thermal transport and physical properties. It was found that all of the ...
A series of Bi(2-x)Sb(x)Te3 powders were prepared via hydrothermal methods by varying x (x=1.45, 1.50, 1.55, 1.56). These powders were then heavily characterized by XRD, EDS, ICP-AES, TEM, SEM and the TPS technique. A low thermal conductivity was desired, so as to give the highest thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT). It was determined that the highest figure of merit was obtained when x=1.55, which resulted in a value of 1.65 ...
