Researchers discover excellent thermoelectric properties of nickel-gold alloys. These can be used to efficiently convert heat into electrical energy.
Thermoelectrics enable the direct conversion of heat into electrical energy -- and vice versa. This makes them interesting for a range of technological applications. In the search for thermoelectric materials with the best possible properties, a research team at TU Wien investigated various metallic alloys. A mixture of nickel and gold proved particularly promising. The researchers recently published their results in the journalUsing thermoelectrics to generate electricity is nothing new.
"Although Seebeck discovered the thermoelectric effect in common metals more than 200 years ago, nowadays metals are hardly considered as thermoelectric materials because they usually have a very low Seebeck coefficient," explains Fabian Garmroudi, first author of the study. On the one hand, metals such as copper, silver or gold have extremely high electrical conductivity; on the other hand, their Seebeck coefficient is vanishingly small in most cases.
The fact that the researchers were able to experimentally show that nickel-gold alloys are extremely good thermoelectrics is no coincidence."Even before starting our experimental work, we calculated with theoretical models which alloys were most suitable," reveals Michael Parzer. Currently, the group is also investigating other promising candidates that do not require the expensive element gold.
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