When a size is increased for mass production, an area of a pressurized surface is increased. This raised a problem in that insufficient load or the like causes a pressure during pressure sintering and a relative density of a thermoelectric conversion element to be likely to become insufficient. As a solution, there is provided a method for producing a thermoelectric conversion element, including: a step of mixing a skutterudite-type thermoelectric conversion material powder containing Sb and a sintering agent containing a compound including Mn and Sb, to obtain a mixture; and a step of sintering the mixture.

When a size is increased for mass production, an area of a pressurized surface is increased. This raised a problem in that insufficient load or the like causes a pressure during pressure sintering and a relative density of a thermoelectric conversion element to be likely to become insufficient. As a solution, there is provided a method for producing a thermoelectric conversion element, including: a step of mixing a skutterudite-type thermoelectric conversion material powder containing Sb and a sintering agent containing a compound including Mn and Sb, to obtain a mixture; and a step of sintering the mixture.

A thermoelectric conversion device including an n-type thermoelectric converter, a p-type thermoelectric converter, a high temperature-side electrode with which one end of the n-type thermoelectric converter and one end of the p-type thermoelectric converter are put into contact, a first low temperature-side electrode in contact with another end of the n-type thermoelectric converter, and a second low temperature-side electrode in contact with another end of the p-type thermoelectric converter, wherein in the n-type thermoelectric converter, the side in contact with the high temperature-side electrode is composed of a carrier generation semiconductor containing Mg.sub.2Sn, and in the n-type thermoelectric converter, the side in contact with the first low temperature-side electrode is composed of a carrier transfer semiconductor containing Mg.sub.2Si.sub.1-xSn.sub.x, wherein 0.6≦x≦0.7, and a first n-type dopant.

A method for producing a thermoelectric material, comprising: mixing an Sn powder and a powder containing a first dopant element to obtain a first mixed raw material, heating the first mixed raw material at a temperature allowing for mutual diffusion of Sn and the first dopant element to obtain a first aggregate, pulverizing the first aggregate to obtain a first powder, mixing an Mg powder, an Si powder, and the first powder to obtain a second mixed raw material, heating the second mixed raw material at a temperature allowing for mutual diffusion of Mg, Si, Sn and the first dopant element to obtain a second aggregate, pulverizing the second aggregate to obtain a second powder, and pressure-sintering the second powder, and wherein the first dopant element is one or more elements selected from Al, Ag, As, Bi, Cu, Sb, Zn, P, and B.

Methods and processes to fabricate thermoelectric materials and more particularly to methods and processes to fabricate nano-sized doped silicon-based semiconductive materials to use as thermoelectrics in the production of electricity from recovered waste heat. Substantially oxidant-free and doped silicon particulates are fractured and sintered to form a porous nano-sized silicon-based thermoelectric material.

A method is disclosed for tailoring the thermoelectric response of a thermocouple to that desired by a user. The method comprises the steps of; (a) selecting a first thermoelectric material, (b) selecting a second thermoelectric material having dissimilar thermoelectric properties to the first thermoelectric material, a thermocouple formed from the first thermoelectric material and the second thermoelectric material having a known thermoelectric response, and (c) modifying the chemical composition of at least one of the first thermoelectric material and the second thermoelectric material to produce a thermocouple having a tailored thermoelectric response. In specific embodiments, the chemical composition may be modified by selectively depleting one or more chemical elements from the thermoelectric material or by selectively adding, or increasing the proportion of, one or more elements to the thermoelectric material.

A molten material apparatus can include a container including a wall at least partially defining a containment area and an opening extending through the wall. The molten material apparatus can include a protective sleeve mounted at least partially within the opening of the wall of the container. A thermocouple can be positioned within an internal bore of the protective sleeve. A method of processing molten material can include inserting a thermocouple into a protective sleeve fabricated from a refractory ceramic material, and measuring a temperature of material within a containment area of a container with the thermocouple.

A metal junction thermoelectric device includes at least one thermoelectric element. The thermoelectric element has first and second opposite sides, and a first conductor made from a first metal, and a second conductor made from a second metal. The first and second conductors are electrically interconnected in series, and the first and second conductors are arranged to conduct heat in parallel between the first and second sides. The first metal has a first occupancy state, and the second metal has a second occupancy state that is lower than the first occupancy state. A temperature difference between the first and second sides of the thermoelectric element causes a charge potential due to the difference in occupancy states of the first and second metals. The charge potential generates electrical power.

A thermoelectric module may include a metallic module housing surrounding a module interior and conductor bridges arranged therein. The module housing may include a cold side wall and a warm side wall connected to cold-side conductor bridges and warm-side conductor bridges, respectively, in a thermally conductive, electrically insulating and permanent manner. The module may also include thermoelectric elements extending between the cold-side and warm-side conductor bridges. The cold side wall may be formed from a first metal material having a first heat expansion coefficient, and the warm side wall may be formed from a second metal material having a second heat expansion coefficient distinct from the first heat expansion coefficient. At least one of the first and second metal materials may be an iron material, the wall formed from the iron material having an electrically insulating coating, including one of a glass-ceramic sol-gel, a silicon oxide, and a polysilazen coating.

A thermoelectric device (20) and a method for manufacturing and using the same are disclosed. The thermoelectric device (20) includes a hot shoe (24) and a cold shoe (28) disposed about the hot shoe. A heat conducting member (32) formed of a thermoelectric material extends between the hot shoe (24) and the cold shoe (28) and generates electricity in response to a temperature difference therebetween. The hot shoe (24) is heated and expands at a greater rate than the cold shoe (28) does during operation. The structural and spatial relationship of the hot shoe (24) and the cold shoe (28) maintains the thermoelectric material of the heat conducting member (32) in compression during operation of the thermoelectric device (20).