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Mechanical properties of Mg2Si thermoelectric materials with the addition of 0–4 vol% silicon carbide nanoparticles (SiCNP)

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Abstract

For thermoelectric generators, the individual thermoelectric elements are subjected to significant stresses under in-service conditions, due to thermal cycles, transients, and gradients, as well as thermal expansion mismatch and externally applied mechanical stresses. Most thermoelectric materials are brittle, possessing a low fracture toughness that is typically no more than 1.5 MPa m1/2 and is often less than 0.5 MPa m1/2. The combination of the stresses encountered in the device application environment and the materials’ low fracture toughness constitute a severe challenge to the viability of thermoelectric generators. The addition of silicon carbide nanoparticles (SiCNP) may provide a route to improving the fracture toughness for a wide range of thermoelectric materials. This study examines the mechanical properties, including elastic modulus, hardness, and fracture toughness for 0–4 vol% SiCNP incorporated into Mg2Si thermoelectric matrices.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Department of Energy, Revolutionary Materials for Solid State Energy Conversion Center, an Energy Frontiers Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Award number DE-SC0001054.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Department, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Robert D. Schmidt, Xiaofeng Fan, Eldon D. Case & Patricia Bordon Sarac

  2. 428 S. Shaw Lane, Room 3264, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Robert D. Schmidt

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  1. Robert D. Schmidt
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Correspondence to Robert D. Schmidt.

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Schmidt, R.D., Fan, X., Case, E.D. et al. Mechanical properties of Mg2Si thermoelectric materials with the addition of 0–4 vol% silicon carbide nanoparticles (SiCNP). J Mater Sci 50, 4034–4046 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-015-8960-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-015-8960-x

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