3D-printed thermoelectric materials: cooling and sustainable

Thermoelectric converters transport heat via electric current, allowing targeted cooling. These devices offer long lifetimes and adaptability, as they function without moving parts. However, conventional production methods rely on costly material blocks and generate substantial waste. 

A research team led by Professor Maria Ibáñez, Verbund Professor for Energy Sciences and Head of the Werner Siemens Thermoelectric Laboratory at ISTA, alongside postdoctoral researcher Shengduo Xu, has successfully 3D-printed high-performance thermoelectric materials and used them to construct a thermoelectric cooler. Xu explains, “Our innovative integration of 3D printing into thermoelectric cooler fabrication greatly improves manufacturing efficiency and reduces costs.” 

Traditional thermoelectric materials are manufactured using complex, energy-intensive processes. The ISTA research team developed a novel approach that enables direct 3D printing of thermoelectric materials into the desired shape, eliminating costly post-processing and reducing material consumption. 

“With our present work, we can 3D print exactly the needed shape of thermoelectric materials. In addition, the resulting devices exhibit a net cooling effect of 50 degrees in the air. This means that our 3D-printed materials perform similarly to ones that are significantly more expensive to manufacture,” says Xu. 

A key aspect of this new method is the specially formulated printing ink. As the carrier solvent evaporates, strong atomic bonds form between particles, creating a continuous material network. This enhances charge transfer and increases the thermoelectric efficiency of the printed materials. Ibáñez states, “We employed an extrusion-based 3D printing technique and designed the ink formulation to ensure the integrity of the printed structure and boost particle bonding. This allowed us to produce the first thermoelectric coolers from printed materials with comparable performance to ingot-based devices while saving material and energy.” 

Beyond cooling in electronics, thermoelectric coolers offer promising applications in medicine, including burn treatment and muscle strain relief. Additionally, the ISTA-developed ink formulation method can be adapted for high-temperature thermoelectric generators, which convert temperature differences into electrical voltage. According to the researchers, this approach could expand the applicability of thermoelectric generators in waste energy harvesting systems. 

COMPAMED-tradefair.com; Source: Institute of Science and Technology Austria