Thermoelectric Properties of CoSb3-based Skutterudite Compounds
AbstractCoSb3 is known as a skutterudite compound that could exhibit high thermoelectric figure of merit. However, the thermal conductivity of CoSb3 is relatively high. In order to enhance the thermoelectric performance of this compound, we tried to reduce the thermal conductivity of CoSb3 by substitution of Rh for Co and by Tl-filling into the voids. The polycrystalline samples of (Co,Rh)Sb3 and Tl-filled CoSb3 were prepared and the thermoelectric properties such as the Seebeck coefficient, electrical resistivity, and thermal conductivity were measured in the temperature range from room temperature to 750 K. The Rh substitution for Co reduced the lattice thermal conductivity, due to the alloy scattering effect. The minimum value of the lattice thermal conductivity was 4 Wm-1K-1 at 750 K obtained for (Co0.7Rh0.3)Sb3. Also the lattice thermal conductivity rapidly decreased with increasing the Tl-filling ratio. T10.25Co4Sb12 exhibited the best ZT values; the maximum ZT was 0.9 obtained at 600 K.