High Thermoelectric Performance of Bi-Doped Mg₂Si_0.4Sn_0.6 and Mg₂Si_0.6Sn_0.4 based on Recyclable Si Kerf Derived from PV Manufacturing

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide In an endeavor to promote semiconductor materials recycling, Bi-doped Mg 2 Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 and Mg 2 Si 0.6 Sn 0.4 thermoelectric compounds were synthesized by mechanical alloying using two types of processed Si kerf derived from the photovoltaic manufacturing industry. Powder X-ray diffraction and SEM analysis provided a better understanding of the final phase formation. Rietveld refinements revealed structural changes and the existence of Mg atoms at the interstitial site 4 b, which seem to strongly affect the electrical transport properties of investigated materials. High thermoelectric performance of the materials synthesized using Si kerf was obtained, reaching a maximum power factor of 33.2 μW cm –1 K –2 and a ZT of 1.1 at 773 K. Achieving such promising thermoelectric properties by replacing commercial, high-purity Si with Si kerfs in the production of Mg 2 (Si,Sn) shows that we successfully followed a circular approach that utilizes recyclable materials and reuses byproducts of industrial processes for the development of high-performance thermoelectrics for waste heat recovery, contributing effectively to the overall goal of achieving sustainability in the emerging field of materials for green energy technologies.