An Analysis of Different Thermoelectric Materials and Their Performances

Waste heat recovery involves “heat integration”, or utilising heat energy that would otherwise be discarded or released into the atmosphere. Waste heat recovery reduces energy prices, CO2 emissions, and energy efficiency in plants. The Seebeck effect makes thermoelectric generators (TEGs) a significant energy solution. These generators may directly transform waste heat into usable power. To transform heat into useable electrical energy, thermoelectric materials are essential. In general, inorganic materials have been prepared for developing thermoelectric devices. Due to the recent development in novel materials, organic materials will be used for thermoelectric devices, and it has more convenient and advantage than the inorganic materials. Toxicity, fragility, and cost limit the usage of inorganic crystalline semiconductors, which dominate thermoelectric materials. Instead, thermoelectric devices should use affordable, thermally conductive, easy-to-process organic thermoelectric materials. The findings of this study demonstrated both the improved performance and the continued viability of TE materials (carbon materials and inorganic materials).