About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Additive Manufacturing Materials, Processes and Applications for Energy Industry
|
| Presentation Title |
Laser-Based Additive Manufacturing as a Microstructural Design Tool for Cu-Ni Thermoelectric Alloys |
| Author(s) |
Anthony Duong, Radhika Barua |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Anthony Duong |
| Abstract Scope |
Developments in sustainable energy have accelerated the need for novel thermoelectric materials for direct heat-to-electricity conversion. Cu-Ni alloys show promise for high-temperature thermoelectric applications (waste-heat recovery, electronics cooling) but require thermal conductivity optimization to compete with current state-of-the-art thermoelectric materials. This study explores additive manufacturing (AM) via laser direct energy deposition (DED) as a means to precisely control process parameters and, critically, microstructure. AM enables tailored thermal gradients and solidification rates, allowing refinement of grain size, texture, and solute distribution—all of which influence phonon scattering and thermal transport. Single-track depositions were characterized using linear heat input (63–72 J/mm) and mass density (0.016–0.021 g/mm) to identify defect-minimizing regimes. These findings lay the groundwork for multi-track builds with engineered microstructures that target thermal conductivities below 10 W/m·K. Overall, this work demonstrates AM’s potential as a microstructural tuning platform for fabricating low-cost, high-performance thermoelectric devices. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Additive Manufacturing, Shaping and Forming, Copper / Nickel / Cobalt |