Multiscale microstructure engineering and the development of high performance, environmental friendly, low cost and thermally stable half-Heusler thermoelectric materials

Abstract

A major challenge of the 21st century is the management of our planetary environment. It's a highly complex issue that permeates every level of our society and our ecosystem. There are multiple outstanding problems that need addressing. Continued use of fossil fuels and the release of global warming gases is leading to global warming and global shifts in weather patterns. Consumption of single use products is causing the twin issues of wasting resources whilst creating massive waste disposal problems. By products from all of these processes pollute the environment with toxic and persistent waste. If these problems are to be solved, a shift in how our global society operates is necessary. Reuse, recycling and achieving maximum efficiency in all processes is vital. Whilst this will necessarily include obvious sources of waste such as plastics, batteries and electrical equipment, it also necessitates the reuse of overlooked waste such as the heat produced in many mechanical and industrial processes. Heat is particularly neglected as a wasted source of energy. Millions of processes, such as chemical manufacture, car engines and electrical equipment, produce heat as part of their normal processing. Typically, this heat is allowed to dissipate into the environment and is often actively removed for the efficient and safe management of the process. However, if even a tiny portion of this heat could be captured and turned into a usable form of energy, we could power all sorts of processes. This would save energy and therefore resources that would otherwise be used for power. Professor Yoshisato Kimura and Associate Professor Yaw Wang Chai of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan are material engineers looking to harness thermoelectric (TE) materials to convert heat into electricity. Specifically, they are interested in TE materials that are capable of remaining stable and generating electricity at high temperatures.