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Thermoelectric properties of BiSbTe/graphene nanocomposites

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Abstract

In this work, BiSbTe based graphene composites with different vol% of graphene were processed by the pressure assisted high frequency induction heated sintering. The exfoliated graphene was uniformly dispersed in the BiSbTe powder through magnetic stirring and ball milling. The pristine BiSbTe and composites powders were consolidated by the high frequency induction heated sintering. Thermoelectric properties of the developed bulks were investigated in the temperature range 300–500 K. The results suggest that ball milling as well as incorporation of graphene substantially changes the transport properties of nanostructured BiSbTe composites from pristine bulk. The electrical conductivity of the composites degraded somewhat gradually with the addition of graphene. The effective thermal conductivity reduces by incorporation of graphene, which is attributed to increased phonon scattering by the enormous nanostructured phase boundaries and graphene. The enhanced Seebeck coefficient accompanied by the reduction in thermal conductivity leads to improved figure of merit up to ~ 1.2 at ~ 375 K for 0.5 vol% graphene/BiSbTe composite.

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Acknowledgements

This Project was funded by the National Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation (MAARIFAH), King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Award Number (11-NAN1913-02). We appreciate help for sintering the samples from Center of Excellence for Research in Engineering Materials (CEREM) at King Saud University.

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  1. Sustainable Energy Technologies Center, College of Engineering, King Saud University, PO Box 800, Riyadh, 11421, Saudi Arabia

    Kaleem Ahmad

  2. State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Kaleem Ahmad, C. Wan & Peng-an Zong

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  1. Kaleem Ahmad
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Correspondence to Kaleem Ahmad.

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Ahmad, K., Wan, C. & Zong, Pa. Thermoelectric properties of BiSbTe/graphene nanocomposites. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 30, 11923–11930 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-019-01538-z

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