The Microstructure and Thermoelectric Properties of Yb-Filled Skutterudite Yb0.1Co4Sb12 Under Cyclic Thermal Loading

• DOI: 10.1007/s11665-016-2348-1
• Publication Date: 2016-09-28T16:20:46Z
• Authors: Pengfei Wen; Yan Zhu; Jihu Chen; Houjiang Yang; Pengcheng Zhai
• Keywords: 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology

This paper is devoted to investigating the microstructure and thermoelectric properties of Yb-filled skutterudite Yb0.1Co4Sb12 under a cyclic thermal loading from room temperature to 773 K. The results indicate after 1000 cycles, the surface morphology changes dramatically, and clear grain boundaries appear on the surface of the sample. The grain sizes of the sample change little after 1000 cycles, and the main phase is still skutterudite; however, a trace amount of YbSb also exists. In addition, the electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity decrease distinctly after 1000 cycles, but the absolute value of the Seebeck coefficient increases a little. Consequently, the ZT value decreases slightly from 0.75 at 800 K before cycling to 0.69 after 1000 cycles. It indicates that the effect of the cyclic thermal loading on the ZT of the Yb0.1Co4Sb12 material is not distinct.