Enhanced thermoelectric properties of SiC nanoparticle dispersed Cu1.8S bulk materials

Thermoelectric materials are a relatively new functional material that can be used for the direct conversion of thermal energy to electrical energy through the transmission and interaction of carriers and phonons in the solid. Polycrystalline p-type Cu1.8S dispersed with x wt% SiC nanoparticle (x = 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 3.0) thermoelectric materials were fabricated by mechanical alloying (MA) and spark plasma sintering (SPS). The effects of the SiC nanoparticles on the thermoelectric properties of the material were investigated. The phase structure and microstructure of all the bulk samples were checked by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), respectively. Compared to pristine Cu1.8S, Cu1.8S polycrystals dispersed with nano-SiC showed increased Seebeck coefficients, decreased electrical conductivities, and reduced thermal conductivities in the temperature range of 323-773 K. The maximum dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) was improved from 0.49 for pristine Cu1.8S samples to 0.87 for the 1.0 wt% SiC dispersed Cu1.8S sample at 773 K. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.