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Laser additive manufacturing of powdered bismuth telluride

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Abstract

Traditional manufacturing methods restrict the expansion of thermoelectric technology. Here, we demonstrate a new manufacturing approach for thermoelectric materials. Selective laser melting, an additive manufacturing technique, is performed on loose thermoelectric powders for the first time. Layer-by-layer construction is realized with bismuth telluride, Bi2Te3, and an 88% relative density was achieved. Scanning electron microscopy results suggest good fusion between each layer although multiple pores exist within the melted region. X-ray diffraction results confirm that the Bi2Te3 crystal structure is preserved after laser melting. Temperature-dependent absolute Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, specific heat, thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity, and dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit ZT are characterized up to 500 °C, and the bulk thermoelectric material produced by this technique has comparable thermoelectric and electrical properties to those fabricated from traditional methods. The method shown here may be applicable to other thermoelectric materials and offers a novel manufacturing approach for thermoelectric devices.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to acknowledge support from Oak Ridge National Laboratory Manufacturing Demonstration Facility RAMP-UP (Subcontract 4000145175), Virginia Center for Innovative Technology (CRCF Award MF16-020-En), and GWU University Facilitating Fund. We are especially grateful to James Ridenour and Dr. Christopher L. Cahill for equipment use and assistance with the XRD work, and we wish to acknowledge Linseis Inc. for the assistance of characterization of thermal and electrical properties. G.S.N. acknowledges support from the National Science Foundation Grant No. DMR-1748188. D.H. acknowledges support from the II-VI Foundation Block-Gift Program. Electron microscopy was conducted in The George Washington University Nanofabrication and Imaging Center.

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  1. Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, 20052, USA

    Haidong Zhang & Saniya LeBlanc

  2. Department of Physics, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, 33620, USA

    Dean Hobbis & George S. Nolas

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  1. Haidong Zhang
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Zhang, H., Hobbis, D., Nolas, G.S. et al. Laser additive manufacturing of powdered bismuth telluride. Journal of Materials Research 33, 4031–4039 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2018.390

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