Polydimethylsiloxane/Carbon Nanotube Composites as Flexible Thermoelectric Generators

Flexible thermoelectric generators (FTEG) play an important role in many areas of industry and everyday life. They are useful in the solutions used to obtain energy. FTEGs can capture waste heat generated in processes industrial and heat from car exhaust or electronic devices, and then convert them into electricity. Such technological solutions have enormous potential due to their possibility improving energy efficiency of processes and reducing greenhouse gas emissions through rational use of previously wasted thermal energy. In addition, they have a small FTEG impact on the environment. They can be manufactured from lightweight and flexible materials, making them suitable for applications in portable and mobile devices. Their compact and lightweight design allows seamless integration with various systems and structures without increasing their overall weight. Yeah this feature is particularly beneficial in the case of new and modern energy-saving technologies. The design and development of new FTEGs are some of the most significant research directions in in materials science, nanotechnology and flexible electronics.

The aim of the project will be to develop and produce a flexible thermoelectric generator using composites based on poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) as the matrix composite. Commercially available multi-wall composite fillers will be used as composite fillers carbon nanotubes (CNT) with p-type electrical conductivity (hole conductivity, composites marked as CNT(p)/PDMS) or n-type (electronic conduction, composites marked as CNT(n)/PDMS).