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Thermoelectric Properties of Indium-Added Skutterudites In x Co4Sb12

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Abstract

The high-temperature thermoelectric properties of In x Co4Sb12 (0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.40) skutterudite compounds were investigated in this study. The phase states of the samples were identified by x-ray diffraction analysis and field-emission scanning electron microscopy at room temperature. InSb and CoSb2 were found as secondary phases in samples with x = 0.10 to 0.40. The filling limit of In into the CoSb3 cages of In x Co4Sb12 was in the range 0.05 < x < 0.10. The electrical resistivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity of the In x Co4Sb12 samples were measured from room temperature to 773 K. The Seebeck coefficient of all samples was negative. Reduction of the thermal conductivity by In addition resulted in a high thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of 0.67 for In0.35Co4Sb12 at 600 K.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan

    Guanghe Li, Ken Kurosaki, Yuji Ohishi, Hiroaki Muta & Shinsuke Yamanaka

  2. Research Institute of Nuclear Engineering, University of Fukui, Fukui, 910-8507, Japan

    Shinsuke Yamanaka

Authors
  1. Guanghe Li
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  2. Ken Kurosaki
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  3. Yuji Ohishi
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  4. Hiroaki Muta
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  5. Shinsuke Yamanaka
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Correspondence to Ken Kurosaki.

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Li, G., Kurosaki, K., Ohishi, Y. et al. Thermoelectric Properties of Indium-Added Skutterudites In x Co4Sb12 . J. Electron. Mater. 42, 1463–1468 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-012-2290-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-012-2290-4

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