Low thermal conductivity in La-filled cobalt antimonide skutterudites with an inhomogeneous filling factor prepared under high-pressure conditions

La-filled skutterudites with an inhomogeneous filling factor synthesized by high pressure exhibit a remarkably low lattice thermal conductivity.

Attrition-enhanced nanocomposite synthesis of indium-filled, iron-substituted skutterudite antimonides for improved performance thermoelectrics

ABSTRACTNanostructuring has been the foremost approach to the manufacture of high-performance thermoelectric materials for nearly a decade. This study explores a novel nanostructuring technique, attrition-enhanced nanocomposite synthesis, in maximum indium-filled, iron-substituted cobalt antimonide skutterudites. In0.3Fe0.8Co3.2Sb12 was synthesized and subjected to varying degrees of mechanical attrition (via ball milling). These samples exhibited increased indium precipitation coincident with the duration of mechanical attrition. Indium readily diffused through the skutterudite crystal structure and rapidly precipitated forming 20-50 nm-sized indium-rich inclusions during sintering.