Thermoelectric devices using conducting polymer foam

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K13814
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Device related chemistry
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Shimomura Takeshi 東京農工大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (40292768)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 導電性高分子 / 発泡体 / 熱電変換

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We fabricated the conducting polymer foam, and investigated the electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity. From the relation between the volume fraction of the introducing void and the thermoelectric property, we aim to clarify the advantage of the conducting polymer foam structure for the thermoelectricity. The foaming was performed by adding foaming agents, freeze drying, or using the supercritical carbon dioxide. In particular, a large void fraction was achieved by the freeze drying method, and we measured the thermoelectric properties of this structure.
It was clarified that the foaming conducting polymer had the Seebeck coefficient similar to that of the neat conducting polymer, so this structure showed the thermoelectric property. Furthermore, the thermal conductivity of this stricture was quite small comparable to the air. Whereas, the electrical conductivity was quite small, so we have to optimize a void fraction for increasing a total performance.

Free Research Field

高分子の電気物性