The Journal of
the Korean Journal of Metals and Materials

The Journal of
the Korean Journal of Metals and Materials

Monthly
  • pISSN : 1738-8228
  • eISSN : 2288-8241

Editorial Office

Title Synthesis and Thermoelectric Properties of (La1-zNdz)0.8Fe4-xCoxSb12 Skutterudites
Authors (Ye-eun Cha); (Il-ho Kim)
DOI https://doi.org/10.3365/KJMM.2019.57.6.366
Page pp.366-373
ISSN 1738-8228(ISSN), 2288-8241(eISSN)
Keywords thermoelectric; skutterudite; partial double filling; charge compensation
Abstract p-Type (La1-zNdz)0.8Fe4-xCoxSb12 skutterudites were prepared by partial double filling with La/Nd and charge compensation by substituting Co for Fe. The skutterudite phase was successfully synthesized using encapsulated melting, quenching, annealing and hot-pressing processes, but a small amount of the marcasite phase was identified. Partial filling within the filling fraction limit did not result in the formation of the (La,Nd)Sb2 phases detected in the fully-filled La1-zNdzFe4-xCoxSb12 because that phase is generated when the La/Nd partial filling exceeds the filling fraction limit. (La0.25Nd0.75)0.8Fe4Sb12 showed the highest electrical conductivity of 2.32 × 105 S m-1 at 323 K, and (La0.75Nd0.25)0.8Fe3CoSb12 exhibited the largest Seebeck coefficient of 167 μV K-1 at 723 K. The power factors and thermal conductivities of all the specimens were in the range of 1.43-2.59 mW m-1 K-2 and 2.05-3.95 W m-1 K-1, respectively, in the temperature range of 323-823 K. (La0.25Nd0.75)0.8Fe3CoSb12 showed the highest power factor of 2.59 mW m-1 K-2 at 823 K and the lowest thermal conductivity of 2.05 W m-1 K-1 at 323 K. Thus, (La0.25Nd0.75)0.8Fe3CoSb12 exhibited a maximum dimensionless figure of merit (ZTmax) of 0.76 at 723 K.(Received April 4, 2019; Accepted April 24, 2019)