Influence of H-bonding on the crystalline structures and ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of novel nanogenerators of the lithium salt of 6-amino hexanoic acid incorporated poly(vinylidene fluoride) composites.

The lithium salt of 6-amino hexanoic acid (Li-AHA) was melt-mixed with poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), wherein the Li-AHA concentration was varied between 1-15 wt% with the aim of establishing hydrogen bonding between the NH functionality of Li-AHA and the -CF moieties of PVDF. This was followed by compression-moulding as well as solution-casting to make PVDF/Li-AHA composite thin films. FTIR analysis established interactions between the -CF groups in PVDF with amine functional moieties of Li-AHA.

Developing a Multiband Electronic Band Structure Model and Predictive Maps for Bismuth-Rich Mg(SbBi) Thermoelectric Materials.

In recent years, bismuth-rich Mg(SbBi) ( = 0.5-0.8) compositions have generated significant interest due to their excellent thermoelectric (TE) performance near room temperature, making them potential applicants for recovery of low-grade waste heat.

Corrosion-Resistant Hydrophobic Thermal Barrier Composite Coating on Metal Strip: A New Dimension to Steel Strips for Roofing Segment.

This study demonstrates a cost-effective, thin, multifunctional composite coating system with outstanding thermal insulation for thermal management and heat shield applications, such as roofs, as well as outstanding resistance to corrosion. The hydrophobic multifunctional epoxy composite coating systems were designed with surface-modified fillers to impart both reduced heat conduction and high infrared reflectance in a thin coating with a 65-100 μm dry film thickness (DFT). With a judicial combination of hollow microspheres (HMS) activated and modified with silica (sHMS) and stearic acid-modified TiO (sMO), the developed composite coating attained the highest thermal insulation property with a temperature drop of 21-31 °C at different distances below the coated panel, which is superior to the values of temperature drop reported earlier.

Strained Lamellar Structures Leading to Improved Thermoelectric Performance in MgSbBi.

MgSbBi solid-solutions represent an important class of thermoelectric (TE) materials due to their high efficiency and variable operating temperature range. Of particular significance for midtemperature applications is the MgSbBi composition whose superior thermoelectric (TE) performance is attributed to the complex conduction band edge in conjunction with alloy dominated phonon scattering. In this work, we show that microstructure also plays a significant role in lowering the lattice thermal conductivity which in turn affects the overall TE performance (change in peak zT values between 1.

Highly Stable Metal─NaPbTe Contacts for Medium Temperature Thermoelectric Devices.

In the medium temperature (600-850 K) range, NaPbTe is a highly efficient p-type thermoelectric compound. Device fabrication utilizing this compound for power generation demands highly stable low-contact resistance contacts with metal electrodes. This work investigates the microstructural, electrical, mechanical, and thermochemical stability of NaPbTe-metal (Ni, Fe, and Co) contacts made by a one-step vacuum hot pressing process.

Generic Approach for Contacting Thermoelectric Solid Solutions: Case Study in n- and p-Type MgSiSn.

Metallization (known as contacting) of thermoelectric (TE) legs is vital to the long-term performance of a TE device. It is often observed that the compositional changes in a TE solid solution may render a given contact material unsuitable due to a mismatch in the thermal expansion coefficient values. Finding suitable contact materials for TE solid solutions (which often are the best TE materials) remains a challenge.