In this work, bio-based thermoelectric composites were developed using acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) as the polymer matrix and bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) as the thermoelectric filler. The materials were formulated for both UV-curing and thermal-curing processes, with a focus on Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D printing. Although UV curing proved ineffective at high filler concentrations due to the light opacity of Bi2Te3, thermal curing enabled the fabrication of stable, homogeneously dispersed composites. The samples were thoroughly characterized through rheology, FTIR, TGA, XRD, SEM, and density measurements. Thermoelectric performance was assessed under a 70 °C temperature gradient, with Seebeck coefficients reaching up to 51 µV/K. Accelerated chemical degradation studies in basic media confirmed the degradability of the matrix. The results demonstrate the feasibility of combining additive manufacturing with sustainable materials for low-power thermoelectric energy harvesting applications.
Ferretti, L., Russo, P., Passaro, J., Nanni, F., D'Ascoli, S., Fabbrocino, F., et al. (2025). Sustainable thermoelectric composites: a study of Bi2Te3-filled biobased resin. MATERIALS, 18(15) [10.3390/ma18153453].
Sustainable thermoelectric composites: a study of Bi2Te3-filled biobased resin
Ferretti, Luca;Russo, Pietro;Nanni, Francesca;Bragaglia, Mario
2025-01-01
Abstract
In this work, bio-based thermoelectric composites were developed using acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) as the polymer matrix and bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) as the thermoelectric filler. The materials were formulated for both UV-curing and thermal-curing processes, with a focus on Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D printing. Although UV curing proved ineffective at high filler concentrations due to the light opacity of Bi2Te3, thermal curing enabled the fabrication of stable, homogeneously dispersed composites. The samples were thoroughly characterized through rheology, FTIR, TGA, XRD, SEM, and density measurements. Thermoelectric performance was assessed under a 70 °C temperature gradient, with Seebeck coefficients reaching up to 51 µV/K. Accelerated chemical degradation studies in basic media confirmed the degradability of the matrix. The results demonstrate the feasibility of combining additive manufacturing with sustainable materials for low-power thermoelectric energy harvesting applications.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
