Interfacial Reactivity of the Filled Skutterudite Smy(FexNi1−x)4Sb12 in Contact with Liquid In-Based Alloys and Sn

Giovanna Latronico,Riccardo Carlini,Cristina Artini,Fabrizio Valenza,Paolo Mele

doi:10.3390/met10030364

Abstract

The study of the wettability of thermoelectric materials, as well as the search for the most proper brazing alloys, is of the maximum importance to get one step closer to the realization of a thermoelectric device. In this work, a wettability study of the filled skutterudite Smy(FexNi1−x)4Sb12 by Sn and In-based alloys is presented. Samples, having both p- and n- characters were prepared by the conventional melting-quenching-annealing technique and subsequently densified by spark plasma sintering (SPS). Afterward, wettability tests were performed by the sessile drop method at 773 K for 20 min. Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analyses performed on the cross-section of the solidified drops suggest quite a complicated scenario due to the coexistence and the interaction of a large number of different elements in each analyzed system. Indeed, the indication of a strong reaction of In-based alloys with skutterudite, accompanied by the formation of the InSb intermetallic compound, is clear; on the contrary, Sn exhibits a milder reactivity, and thus, a more promising behavior, being its appreciable wettability, whilst coupled to a limited reactivity.

Highlights

IntroductionThe general lack of energy and its always increasing demand leads us to explore different fields and technologies with the aim of searching for new energy sources or energy-saving pathways
Nowadays, the general lack of energy and its always increasing demand leads us to explore different fields and technologies with the aim of searching for new energy sources or energy-saving pathways.As a response, thermoelectricity is an attractive effect based on the ability of materials to directly convert thermal energy into electrical power
Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) can be used in every circumstance where it is essential to produce energy in small volumes and with neither moving parts nor working fluids [1]; alternatively, they can be coupled to traditional energy production technologies in order to recover waste heat where there is a lack of conversion efficiency [2,3]

Summary

Introduction

The general lack of energy and its always increasing demand leads us to explore different fields and technologies with the aim of searching for new energy sources or energy-saving pathways. Thermoelectricity is an attractive effect based on the ability of materials to directly convert thermal energy into electrical power. Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) can be used in every circumstance where it is essential to produce energy in small volumes and with neither moving parts nor working fluids [1]; alternatively, they can be coupled to traditional energy production technologies in order to recover waste heat where there is a lack of conversion efficiency [2,3]. Energy harvesting is of the primary importance for the development of the Internet of Things [4,5].

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion