An international team of scientists synthesized a new thermoelectric alloy based on iron, vanadium and antimony, successfully modifying it with heavy metals. It is reported that the efficiency of converting heat to electricity using the new alloy has more than doubled at room temperature and much more at high temperatures. New horizons may open up for the disposal of waste heat.
There is an abundance of heat around, considering that in the overwhelming majority of cases it simply evaporates into the atmosphere. Researchers have long been trying to find an efficient way to generate electricity by capturing thermal energy, but so far it fluctuates in the range of up to 10%, and even then at very high temperatures. In a new study, scientists studied a modification of the so-called half-Heusler alloy, in which three elements - iron, vanadium and antimony - were additionally alloyed with heavy metals with hafnium, titanium and niobium.
The efficiency of a thermoelectric as a whole depends on three physicochemical characteristics of alloys: on the power factor, electrical and thermal conductivity. The higher the power factor and electrical conductivity, and the lower the thermal conductivity, the better and more efficient the material. But striking the right balance isn't easy.
“Scientists from NUST MISIS, Sohag University, King Saud University and Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov proposed a method for reducing the thermal conductivity of such alloys by triple alloying of the matrix with heavy metals such as hafnium, titanium and niobium. During the study, experimental alloys were synthesized by melting, followed by grinding and sintering. The thermoelectric properties of the obtained samples were then investigated at temperatures from 27 to 527 ℃, " - according to a press release from NUST MISIS.
The study of the samples showed that alloying reduced the thermal conductivity of the alloy so much that the efficiency of converting heat into electricity at room temperature jumped twice. This may turn out to be the right path to commercial designs of thermoelectric converters. In any case, the researchers have shown a promising direction for the industry and it is worthy of close attention from the industry.
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