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Electronic transport and thermoelectric properties of double-filled Pr1−z Yb z Fe4−x Co x Sb12 skutterudites

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Abstract

P-type Pr1−z Yb z Fe4−x Co x Sb12 skutterudites were prepared by encapsulated melting, annealing and hot pressing, and the effects of Pr/Yb double-filling and Co substitution on the phase stability, the microstructure, and the transport and thermoelectric properties were examined. All specimens were transformed to the skutterudite phase by annealing, and a few FeSb2 phases were produced, but their amounts could be reduced by Co substitution. The actual compositions of the filler (Pr/Yb) were slightly lower than the nominal compositions due to the filling fraction limit and the volatilization of elements, and the lattice constant decreased with increasing Pr and Co contents. The electrical conductivity decreased with increasing temperature, indicating a degenerate semiconductor behavior, and the Hall and the Seebeck coefficients showed positive signs, implying p-type conduction. The electrical conductivity decreased due to a decrease in the carrier concentration with increasing Pr and Co contents, and the Seebeck coefficients increased while the thermal conductivity decreased because of the decreased electronic thermal conductivity. Although the lattice thermal conductivity rarely changed with the filling fraction of Pr and Yb, it had low values due to the relatively high electronic thermal conductivity. As a result, the dimensionless figure of merit, ZT, was improved by Pr/Yb double filling and Co substitution, and a maximum ZT = 0.85 was obtained at 723 K for Pr0.75Yb0.25Fe3.5Co0.5Sb12.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju, 27469, Korea

    Dong-Kil Shin & Il-Ho Kim

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  1. Dong-Kil Shin
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Correspondence to Il-Ho Kim.

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Shin, DK., Kim, IH. Electronic transport and thermoelectric properties of double-filled Pr1−z Yb z Fe4−x Co x Sb12 skutterudites. Journal of the Korean Physical Society 67, 1208–1213 (2015). https://doi.org/10.3938/jkps.67.1208

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