| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T24: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Advancements in Lightweight Composites, Materials & Alloys
|
| Presentation Title |
Novel Nanocomposite High-Temperature Thermoelectric Materials |
| Author(s) |
Kevin P. Anderson, Benjamin Greenberg, Alan Jacobs, James Wollmershauser, Boris Feigelson |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Kevin P. Anderson |
| Abstract Scope |
Thermoelectric materials hold great promise as a means to address global energy challenges. These materials uniquely exhibit the thermoelectric effect (also known as Seebeck effect), enabling direct conversion of thermal energy to electricity. Conventional fossil-fuel based power generation results in 60-70% energy waste as heat. Utilizing thermoelectric materials to recover waste heat as electricity could significantly enhance overall energy efficiency. However, the power conversion efficiency of thermoelectric materials must be improved for widespread adoption. In the quest to improve thermoelectric performance, novel nanocomposite materials were fabricated via a unique method incorporating particle atomic layer deposition (pALD) on nanopowders and subsequent Environmentally Controlled – Pressure Assisted Sintering (EC-PAS). These materials feature fully dense, percolated networks of nanoscale semiconductor and insulating phases, enabling tuning of electrical and thermal conductivity. The novel processing method and resultant microstructures will be discussed, along with effects on relevant thermal and electrical properties. |