Towards tellurium-free thermoelectric modules for power generation from low-grade heat

Abstract

Thermoelectric technology converts heat into electricity directly and is a promising source of clean electricity. Commercial thermoelectric modules have relied on Bi₂Te₃-based compounds because of their unparalleled thermoelectric properties at temperatures associated with low-grade heat (<550 K). However, the scarcity of elemental Te greatly limits the applicability of such modules. Here we report the performance of thermoelectric modules assembled from Bi₂Te₃-substitute compounds, including p-type MgAgSb and n-type Mg₃(Sb,Bi)₂, by using a simple, versatile, and thus scalable processing routine. For a temperature difference of ~250 K, whereas a single-stage module displayed a conversion efficiency of ~6.5%, a module using segmented n-type legs displayed a record efficiency of ~7.0% that is comparable to the state-of-the-art Bi₂Te₃-based thermoelectric modules. Our work demonstrates the feasibility and scalability of high-performance thermoelectric modules based on sustainable elements for recovering low-grade heat.

Though earth abundant magnesium-based materials are attractive for thermoelectrics (TEs) due to their device-level performance, realizing efficient modules remains a challenge. Here, the authors report a scalable route to realizing Mg-based compounds for high performance TE modules.