The thermoelectric effect, which converts waste heat into electricity, holds promise as a renewable energy technology. Recently, bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3)-based alloys are being recognized as important materials for practical applications in the temperature range from room temperature to 500 K. However, conventional sintering processes impose limitations on shape-changeable and tailorable Bi2Te3 materials. To overcome these issues, three-dimensional (3D) printing (additive manufacturing) is being adopted. Although some research results have been reported, relatively few studies on 3D printed thermoelectric materials are being carried out. In this study, we utilize extrusion 3D printing to manufacture n-type Bi1.7Sb0.3Te3 (N-BST). The ink is produced without using organic binders, which could negatively influence its thermoelectric properties. Furthermore, we introduce graphene oxide (GO) at the crystal interface to enhance the electrical properties. The formed N-BST composites exhibit significantly improved electrical conductivity and a higher Seebeck coefficient as the GO content increases. Therefore, we propose that the combination of the extrusion 3D printing process (Direct Ink Writing, DIW) and the incorporation of GO into N-BST offers a convenient and effective approach for achieving higher thermoelectric efficiency.

Porous ceramics are used in various industrial applications based on their physical properties, including isolation, storage, and thermal barrier properties. However, traditional manufacturing environments require additional steps to control artificial pores and limit deformities, because they rely on limited molding methods. To overcome this drawback, many studies have recently focused on fabricating porous structures using additive manufacturing techniques. In particular, the binder jet technology enables high porosity and various types of designs, and avoids the limitations of existing manufacturing processes. In this study, we investigated process optimization for manufacturing porous ceramic filters using the binder jet technology. In binder jet technology, the flowability of the powder used as the base material is an important factor, as well as compatibility with the binder in the process and for the final print. Flow agents and secondary binders were used to optimize the flowability and compatibility of the powders. In addition, the effects of the amount of added glass frit, and changes in sintering temperature on the microstructure, porosity and mechanical properties of the final printed product were investigated.

Thermoelectric-thick films were fabricated by using a screen printing process of n and p-type bismuth-telluride-based pastes. The screen-printed thick films have approximately 30 in thickness and show rough surfaces yielding an empty gap between an electrode and the thick film. The gap might result in an increase of an electrical resistivity of the fabricated thick-film-type thermoelectric module. In this study, we suggest a conductive metal coating onto the surfaces of the screen-printed paste in order to reduce the contact resistance in the module. As a result, the electrical resistivity of the thermoelectric module having a gold coating layer was significantly reduced up to 30% compared to that of a module without any metal coating. This result indicates that an introduction of conductive metal layers is effective to decrease the contact resistivity of a thick-film-typed thermoelectric module processed by screen printing.