Super-fast preparation of Nd-filled p-type skutterudite compounds with enhanced thermoelectric properties

P-type filled skutterudite materials have been gained considerable research interest in recent years due to their promising thermoelectric power generation applications at intermediate temperature. Herein, we systematically investigated the influence of Nd filling on the thermoelectric properties of NdxFe2Co2Sb12 (x=0.4, 0.5 0.6, 0.7 and 0.8). Nd-filled skutterudites are synthesized using a simple and time-saving induction melt spinning technique followed by spark plasma sintering. The results show that Nd-filling leads to the significant reduction in the lattice thermal conductivity and enhancement of power factor over the entire temperature range. The most marked reduction in the lattice thermal conductivity is achieved with the value of 0.76 W/m K for x=0.7 sample, due to strengthened phonon scattering. Meanwhile, the highest ZT=0.98 is attained at 740 K for Nd0.7Fe2Co2Sb12. The rapid synthesis procedure provides an effective pathway for the fabrication of thermoelectric materials with high performance.