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Protective enamel coating for n- and p-type skutterudite thermoelectric materials

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Abstract

Transitioning skutterudite (SKD) thermoelectric technology from space to terrestrial power generation requires oxidation suppression technology. One approach involves the development of protective coatings consisting of the following properties: (i) low thermal conductivity to prevent parasitic heat loss, (ii) low electrical conductivity to prevent short-circuiting, (iii) coefficient(s) of thermal expansion matching that of the thermoelectric material, and (iv) adequate thermal stability and mechanical strength for durability. In this work, n-type Ba0.05Yb0.025CoSb3 and p-type Ce0.9Co0.5Fe3.5Sb12 were coated with a silica-based enamel to prevent their oxidation. This work demonstrates the efficacy of enamel coatings for suppressing oxidation of n-type SKD, and for the first time, p-type SKD in static and thermal cyclic heating tests up to 600 °C in air. The coating process, physical characterization of the enamel, and materials characterization data are presented and discussed.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge support from General Motors and the Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Renewable Energy under Award Number DE-EE0005432.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Young-Sam Park, Travis Thompson, Yunsung Kim & Jeffrey S. Sakamoto

  2. GM Global Research & Development, Warren, MI, 48090, USA

    James R. Salvador

  3. Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejeon, 305-700, South Korea

    Young-Sam Park

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  1. Young-Sam Park
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  2. Travis Thompson
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  3. Yunsung Kim
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  4. James R. Salvador
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  5. Jeffrey S. Sakamoto
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Correspondence to Jeffrey S. Sakamoto.

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Park, YS., Thompson, T., Kim, Y. et al. Protective enamel coating for n- and p-type skutterudite thermoelectric materials. J Mater Sci 50, 1500–1512 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-014-8711-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-014-8711-4

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