Synthesis and thermoelectric properties of the Ba and Sm double filled skutterudites

Double filled skutterudites BamSmnFexCO4-xSb12 were prepared by melting and Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) method, and the effects of filling total amount and proportion of Ba and Sm on the thermoelectric properties of these compounds were investigated. For BamSmnFexCO4-xSb12, with increasing of the Ba and Sm double filling total amount, the Seebeck coefficient increases, the electrical conductivity and the thermal conductivity decrease. When the double filling total amount is nearly similar, the electrical conductivity of the skutterudite with larger proportion of Ba filling is better, while the thermal conductivity of the skutterudite with larger proportion of Sm filling is lower. ZT(max) value of Ba0.218Sm0.204Fe1.51Co2.5Sb12 compound at 800 K is 0.75.