Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  

• Improving thermoelectric properties of CuMnSb alloys via strategic alloying with magnetic MnSb and Cu
  Jong Min Park, Seungki Jo, Soo-ho Jung, Jinhee Bae, Linh Ba Vu, Jihun Yu, Kyung Tae Kim
  Materials Letters.2025; 381: 137796.     CrossRef
• Highly deformable and hierarchical 3D composite sponge for versatile thermoelectric energy conversion
  Jong Min Park, Changyeon Baek, Min-Ku Lee, Nagamalleswara Rao Alluri, Gyoung-Ja Lee, Kyung Tae Kim, Kwi-Il Park
  Applied Surface Science.2025; 692: 162730.     CrossRef

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  

• Review of “Integrated Computer-Aided Process Engineering Session in the 17th International Symposium on Novel and Nano Materials (ISNNM, 14–18 November 2022)”
  Yeon-Joo Lee, Pil-Ryung Cha, Hyoung-Seop Kim, Hyun-Joo Choi
  MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS.2025; 66(1): 144.     CrossRef
• Enhanced energy harvesting performance of bendable thermoelectric generator enabled by trapezoidal-shaped legs
  Momanyi Amos Okirigiti, Cheol Min Kim, Hyejeong Choi, Nagamalleswara Rao Alluri, Changyeon Baek, Min-Ku Lee, Gyoung-Ja Lee, Kwi-Il Park
  Journal of Power Sources.2025; 631: 236254.     CrossRef
• Flexible hybrid thermoelectric films made of bismuth telluride-PEDOT:PSS composites enabled by freezing-thawing process and simple chemical treatment
  Cheol Min Kim, Seoha Kim, Nagamalleswara Rao Alluri, Bitna Bae, Momanyi Amos Okirigiti, Gwang Hyun Kim, Hyeon Jun Park, Haksu Jang, Changyeon Baek, Min-Ku Lee, Gyoung-Ja Lee, Kwi-Il Park
  Materials Today Chemistry.2025; 44: 102532.     CrossRef
• Enhanced Electrical Properties of 3D Printed Bi2Te3-Based Thermoelectric Materials via Hot Isostatic Pressing
  Seungki Jo
  Ceramist.2025; 28(1): 126.     CrossRef

The thermoelectric effect, which converts waste heat into electricity, holds promise as a renewable energy technology. Recently, bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3)-based alloys are being recognized as important materials for practical applications in the temperature range from room temperature to 500 K. However, conventional sintering processes impose limitations on shape-changeable and tailorable Bi2Te3 materials. To overcome these issues, three-dimensional (3D) printing (additive manufacturing) is being adopted. Although some research results have been reported, relatively few studies on 3D printed thermoelectric materials are being carried out. In this study, we utilize extrusion 3D printing to manufacture n-type Bi_1.7Sb_0.3Te₃ (N-BST). The ink is produced without using organic binders, which could negatively influence its thermoelectric properties. Furthermore, we introduce graphene oxide (GO) at the crystal interface to enhance the electrical properties. The formed N-BST composites exhibit significantly improved electrical conductivity and a higher Seebeck coefficient as the GO content increases. Therefore, we propose that the combination of the extrusion 3D printing process (Direct Ink Writing, DIW) and the incorporation of GO into N-BST offers a convenient and effective approach for achieving higher thermoelectric efficiency.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  

• Exploring Thermoelectric Transport Properties and Band Parameters of n-Type Bi2-xSbxTe3 Compounds Using the Single Parabolic Band Model
  Linh Ba Vu, Soo-ho Jung, Jinhee Bae, Jong Min Park, Kyung Tae Kim, Injoon Son, Seungki Jo
  journal of Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute.2024; 31(2): 119.     CrossRef

Thermoelectric materials and devices are energy-harvesting devices that can effectively recycle waste heat into electricity. Thermoelectric power generation is widely used in factories, engines, and even in human bodies as they continuously generate heat. However, thermoelectric elements exhibit poor performance and low energy efficiency; research is being conducted to find new materials or improve the thermoelectric performance of existing materials, that is, by ensuring a high figure-of-merit (zT) value. For increasing zT, higher σ (electrical conductivity) and S (Seebeck coefficient) and a lower к (thermal conductivity) are required. Here, interface engineering by atomic layer deposition (ALD) is used to increase zT of n-type BiTeSe (BTS) thermoelectric powders. ALD of the BTS powders is performed in a rotary-type ALD reactor, and 40 to 100 ALD cycles of ZnO thin films are conducted at 100°C. The physical and chemical properties and thermoelectric performance of the ALD-coated BTS powders and pellets are characterized. It is revealed that electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity are decoupled, and thus, zT of ALD-coated BTS pellets is increased by more than 60% compared to that of the uncoated BTS pellets. This result can be utilized in a novel method for improving the thermoelectric efficiency in materials processing.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  

• Highly deformable and hierarchical 3D composite sponge for versatile thermoelectric energy conversion
  Jong Min Park, Changyeon Baek, Min-Ku Lee, Nagamalleswara Rao Alluri, Gyoung-Ja Lee, Kyung Tae Kim, Kwi-Il Park
  Applied Surface Science.2025; 692: 162730.     CrossRef
• Investigation of the Thermal-to-Electrical Properties of Transition Metal-Sb Alloys Synthesized for Thermoelectric Applications
  Jong Min Park, Seungki Jo, Sooho Jung, Jinhee Bae, Linh Ba Vu, Kwi-Il Park, Kyung Tae Kim
  journal of Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute.2024; 31(3): 236.     CrossRef
• Enhancing Electrical Properties of N-type Bismuth Telluride Alloys through Graphene Oxide Incorporation in Extrusion 3D Printing
  Jinhee Bae, Seungki Jo, Kyung Tae Kim
  journal of Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute.2023; 30(4): 318.     CrossRef

High-temperature and high-pressure post-processing applied to sintered thermoelectric materials can create nanoscale defects, thereby enhancing their thermoelectric performance. Here, we investigate the effect of hot isostatic pressing (HIP) as a post-processing treatment on the thermoelectric properties of p-type Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te_3.0 compounds sintered via spark plasma sintering. The sample post-processed via HIP maintains its electronic transport properties despite the reduced microstructural texturing. Moreover, lattice thermal conductivity is significantly reduced owing to activated phonon scattering, which can be attributed to the nanoscale defects created during HIP, resulting in an ~18% increase in peak zT value, which reaches ~1.43 at 100°C. This study validates that HIP enhances the thermoelectric performance by controlling the thermal transport without having any detrimental effects on the electronic transport properties of thermoelectric materials.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  

• Enhanced Electrical Properties of 3D Printed Bi2Te3-Based Thermoelectric Materials via Hot Isostatic Pressing
  Seungki Jo
  Ceramist.2025; 28(1): 126.     CrossRef
• Exploring Thermoelectric Transport Properties and Band Parameters of n-Type Bi2-xSbxTe3 Compounds Using the Single Parabolic Band Model
  Linh Ba Vu, Soo-ho Jung, Jinhee Bae, Jong Min Park, Kyung Tae Kim, Injoon Son, Seungki Jo
  journal of Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute.2024; 31(2): 119.     CrossRef
• Investigation of the Thermal-to-Electrical Properties of Transition Metal-Sb Alloys Synthesized for Thermoelectric Applications
  Jong Min Park, Seungki Jo, Sooho Jung, Jinhee Bae, Linh Ba Vu, Kwi-Il Park, Kyung Tae Kim
  journal of Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute.2024; 31(3): 236.     CrossRef
• Enhancing Electrical Properties of N-type Bismuth Telluride Alloys through Graphene Oxide Incorporation in Extrusion 3D Printing
  Jinhee Bae, Seungki Jo, Kyung Tae Kim
  journal of Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute.2023; 30(4): 318.     CrossRef

Thermoelectric materials can reversely convert heat and electricity into each other; therefore, they can be very useful for energy harvesting from heat waste. Among many thermoelectrical materials, SnSe exhibits outstanding thermoelectric performance along the particular direction of a single crystal. However, single-crystal SnSe has poor mechanical properties and thus it is difficult to apply for mass production. Therefore, polycrystalline SnSe materials may be used to replace single-crystal SnSe by overcoming its inferior thermoelectric performance owing to surface oxidation. Considerable efforts are currently focused on enhancing the thermoelectric performance of polycrystalline SnSe. In this study, we briefly review various enhancement methods for SnSe thermoelectric materials, including doping, texturing, and nano-structuring. Finally, we discuss the future prospects of SnSe thermoelectric powder materials.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  

• The Mechanism Behind the High zT of SnSe₂ Added SnSe at High Temperatures
  JunSu Kim, Seong-Mee Hwang, Hyunjin Park, Yinglu Tang, Won-Seon Seo, Chae Woo Ryu, Heesun Yang, Weon Ho Shin, Hyun-Sik Kim
  Korean Journal of Metals and Materials.2023; 61(11): 857.     CrossRef

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a promising technology for the uniform deposition of thin films. ALD is based on a self-limiting mechanism, which can effectively deposit thin films on the surfaces of powders of various sizes. Numerous studies are underway to improve the performance of thermoelectric materials by forming core-shell structures in which various materials are deposited on the powder surface using ALD. Thermoelectric materials are especially relevant as clean energy storage materials due to their ability to interconvert between thermal and electrical energy by the Seebeck and Peltier effects. Herein, we introduce a surface and interface modification strategy based on ALD to control the performance of thermoelectric materials. We also discuss the properties of the interface between various deposition materials and thermoelectric materials.

The SnSe single crystal shows an outstanding figure of merit (ZT) of 2.6 at 973 K; thus, it is considered to be a promising thermoelectric material. However, the mass production of SnSe single crystals is difficult, and their mechanical properties are poor. Alternatively, we can use polycrystalline SnSe powder, which has better mechanical properties. In this study, surface modification by atomic layer deposition (ALD) is chosen to increase the ZT value of SnSe polycrystalline powder. SnSe powder is ground by a ball mill. An ALD coating process using a rotary-type reactor is adopted. ZnO thin films are grown by 100 ALD cycles using diethylzinc and H₂O as precursors at 100°C. ALD is performed at rotation speeds of 30, 40, 50, and 60 rpm to examine the effects of rotation speed on the thin film characteristics. The physical and chemical properties of ALD-coated SnSe powders are characterized by scanning and tunneling electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive spectroscopy. The results reveal that a smooth oxygenrich ZnO layer is grown on SnSe at a rotation speed of 30 rpm. This result can be applied for the uniform coating of a ZnO layer on various powder materials.

Nanoparticles of PbTe are prepared via chemical reaction of the equimolar aqueous solutions of Pb(CH₃COO)₂ and Te at 120°C. The size of the obtained particles is 100 nm after calcination in a hydrogen atmosphere. Dense specimens for the thermoelectric characterization are produced by spark plasma sintering of prepared powders at 400°C to 500°C under 80 MPa for 5 min. The relative densities of the prepared specimens reach approximately 97% and are identified as cubic based on X-ray diffraction analyses. The thermoelectric properties are evaluated between 100°C and 300°C via electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity. Compared with PbTe ingot, the reduction of the thermal conductivities by more than 30% is verified via phonon scattering at the grain boundaries, which thus contributes to the increase in the figure of merit.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  

• Improved Thermoelectric Performance of Cu3Sb1−x−ySnxInySe4 Permingeatites Double-Doped with Sn and In
  Ho-Jeong Kim, Il-Ho Kim
  Korean Journal of Metals and Materials.2023; 61(6): 422.     CrossRef
• Enhancing Electrical Properties of N-type Bismuth Telluride Alloys through Graphene Oxide Incorporation in Extrusion 3D Printing
  Jinhee Bae, Seungki Jo, Kyung Tae Kim
  journal of Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute.2023; 30(4): 318.     CrossRef

In this work, p-type Bi−Sb−Te alloys powders are prepared using gas atomization, a mass production powder preparation method involving rapid solidification. To study the effect of the sintering temperature on the microstructure and thermoelectric properties, gas-atomized powders are consolidated at different temperatures (623, 703, and 743 K) using spark plasma sintering. The crystal structures of the gas-atomized powders and sintered bulks are identified using an X-ray diffraction technique. Texture analysis by electron backscatter diffraction reveals that the grains are randomly oriented in the entire matrix, and no preferred orientation in any unique direction is observed. The hardness values decrease with increasing sintering temperature owing to a decrease in grain size. The conductivity increases gradually with increasing sintering temperature, whereas the Seebeck coefficient decreases owing to increases in the carrier mobility with grain size. The lowest thermal conductivity is obtained for the bulk sintered at a low temperature (603 K), mainly because of its fine-grained microstructure. A peak ZT of 1.06 is achieved for the sample sintered at 703 K owing to its moderate electrical conductivity and sustainable thermal conductivity.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  

• Influence of the SPS heating rate on the optical and mechanical properties of Y2O3-MgO nanocomposites
  Seok-Min Yong
  Journal of Ceramic Processing Research.2019; 20(1): 59.     CrossRef

We fabricate fine (<20 μm) powders of Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃ alloys using a large-scale production method and subsequently consolidate them at temperatures of 573, 623, and 673 K using a spark plasma sintering process. The microstructure, mechanical properties, and thermoelectric properties are investigated for each sintering temperature. The microstructural features of both the powders and bulks are characterized by scanning electron microscopy, and the crystal structures are analyzed by X-ray diffraction analysis. The grain size increases with increasing sintering temperature from 573 to 673 K. In addition, the mechanical properties increase significantly with decreasing sintering temperature owing to an increase in grain boundaries. The results indicate that the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient (217 μV/K) of the sample sintered at 673 K increase simultaneously owing to decreased carrier concentration and increased mobility. As a result, a high ZT value of 0.92 at 300 K is achieved. According to the results, a sintering temperature of 673 K is preferable for consolidation of fine (<20 μm) powders.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  

• Complex microstructure induced high thermoelectric performances of p-type Bi–Sb–Te alloys
  Eun-Ha Go, Babu Madavali, Min-Woo Shin, Sung Ho Song, Soon-Jik Hong
  Materials Chemistry and Physics.2023; 307: 128156.     CrossRef
• Role of sintering temperature on electronic and mechanical properties of thermoelectric material: A theoretical and experimental study of TiCoSb half-Heusler alloy
  Ajay Kumar Verma, Kishor Kumar Johari, Kriti Tyagi, Durgesh Kumar Sharma, Pawan Kumar, Sudhir Kumar, Sivaiah Bathula, S.R. Dhakate, Bhasker Gahtori
  Materials Chemistry and Physics.2022; 281: 125854.     CrossRef
• Enhanced thermoelectric properties of Li and Mg co−substituted Bi2Sr2Co2O fabricated by combined conventional sintering and spark plasma sintering
  K. Park, H.Y. Hong, S.Y. Gwon
  Inorganic Chemistry Communications.2022; 145: 110005.     CrossRef

Graphene oxide (GO) powder processed by Hummer's method is mixed with p-type Bi₂Te₃ based thermoelectric materials by a high-energy ball milling process. The synthesized GO-dispersed p-type Bi₂Te₃ composite powder has a composition of Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃ (BSbT), and the powder is consolidated into composites with different contents of GO powder by using the spark plasma sintering (SPS) process. It is found that the addition of GO powder significantly decreases the thermal conductivity of the pure BSbT material through active phonon scattering at the newly formed interfaces. In addition, the electrical properties of the GO/BSbT composites are degraded by the addition of GO powder except in the case of the 0.1 wt% GO/BSbT composite. It is found that defects on the surface of GO powder hinder the electrical transport properties. As a result, the maximum thermoelectric performance (ZT value of 0.91) is achieved from the 0.1% GO/BSbT composite at 398 K. These results indicate that introducing GO powder into thermoelectric materials is a promising method to achieve enhanced thermoelectric performance due to the reduction in thermal conductivity.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  

• Nanocomposite Strategy toward Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance in Bismuth Telluride
  Hua‐Lu Zhuang, Jincheng Yu, Jing‐Feng Li
  Small Science.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Exploring Thermoelectric Transport Properties and Band Parameters of n-Type Bi2-xSbxTe3 Compounds Using the Single Parabolic Band Model
  Linh Ba Vu, Soo-ho Jung, Jinhee Bae, Jong Min Park, Kyung Tae Kim, Injoon Son, Seungki Jo
  journal of Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute.2024; 31(2): 119.     CrossRef
• Enhancing Electrical Properties of N-type Bismuth Telluride Alloys through Graphene Oxide Incorporation in Extrusion 3D Printing
  Jinhee Bae, Seungki Jo, Kyung Tae Kim
  journal of Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute.2023; 30(4): 318.     CrossRef
• Advancement of thermoelectric performances through the dispersion of expanded graphene on p-type BiSbTe alloys
  Eun-Ha Go, Rathinam Vasudevan, Babu Madavali, Peyala Dharmaiah, Min-Woo Shin, Sung Ho Song, Soon-Jik Hong
  Powder Metallurgy.2023; 66(5): 722.     CrossRef
• The role of edge-oxidized graphene to improve the thermopower of p-type bismuth telluride-based thick films
  Young Min Cho, Kyung Tae Kim, Gi Seung Lee, Soo Hyung Kim
  Applied Surface Science.2019; 476: 533.     CrossRef
• The Preparation and Growth Mechanism of the Recovered Bi2Te3 Particles with Respect to Surfactants
  Hyeongsub So, Eunpil Song, Yong-Ho Choa, Kun-Jae Lee
  Journal of Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute.2017; 24(2): 141.     CrossRef