Flexible and lightweight thermoelectric generators composed of carbon nanotube–polystyrene composites printed on film substrate

Abstract

A flexible thermoelectric generator (TEG) was fabricated on a polyethylene naphthalate film substrate using a printing process. The thermoelectric material used in this study, a composite material consisting of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and polystyrene, contained approximately 35 vol. % of voids. Because of the reduction in the density of the CNT–polystyrene composite caused by the voids, the TEG was remarkably lightweight (weight per unit area: ≈15.1 mg/cm2). The TEG generated approximately 55 mW/m2 of power at a temperature difference of 70 °C.