Thermoelectric properties of Ni_0.15Co_3.85Sb₁₂ and Fe_0.2Ni_0.15Co_3.65Sb₁₂ skutterudites prepared by HPHT method

Abstract N-type polycrystalline skutterudite compounds Ni0.15Co3.85Sb12 and Fe0.2Ni0.15Co3.65Sb12 with the bcc crystal structure were synthesized by high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) method. The synthesis time was sharply reduced to approximately half an hour. Typical microstructures connected with lattice deformations and dislocations were incorporated in the samples of Ni0.15Co3.85Sb12 and Fe0.2Ni0.15Co3.65Sb12 after HPHT. Electrical and thermal transport properties were meticulously researched in the temperature range of 300 K to 700 K. The Fe0.2Ni0.15Co3.65Sb12 sample shows a lower thermal conductivity than that of Ni0.15Co3.85Sb12. The dimensionless thermoelectric figure-of-merit (zT) reaches the maximal values of 0.52 and 0.35 at 600 K and 700 K respectively, for Ni0.15Co3.85Sb12 and Fe0.2Ni0.15Co3.65Sb12 samples synthesized at 1 GPa.