Development of alkali metal thermal-to-electric converter unit cells using Mo/TiN electrode

Abstract

Molybdenum (Mo), an electrode material of alkali metal thermal-to-electric converters (AMTEC), facilitates grain growth behavior and forms Mo-Na-O compounds at high operating temperatures, resulting in reduced performance and shortened lifetime of the cell. Mo/TiN composite materials have been developed to provide a solution for such issues. Mo is a metal that possesses excellent electrical properties, and TiN is a ceramic compound with high-temperature durability and catalytic activity. In this study, a dip-coating process with an organic solvent-based slurry was used as an optimal coating method to achieve homogeneity and stability of the electrodes. Cell performance was evaluated under various conditions such as the number of coatings, ranging from 1 to 3 times, and heat treatment temperatures of 800 - 1100°C. The results confirmed that the cell yielded a maximum power of 9.99 W for the sample coated 3 times and heat-treated at 900°C.