Anomalous Ettingshausen effect in iron-carbon alloys

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that iron-carbon alloys, including cast irons and steel, exhibit a significantly enhanced anomalous Ettingshausen effect compared to pure iron, indicating their potential as efficient transverse thermoelectric materials.

Contribution

The paper reports the first observation of a large anomalous Ettingshausen effect in iron-carbon alloys, with a substantial increase in the effect's coefficient and figure of merit over pure iron.

Findings

Alloys exhibit clear AEE-induced temperature modulation.

Anomalous Ettingshausen coefficient is an order of magnitude greater than pure iron.

Figure of merit in cast iron is 55 times higher than in pure iron.

Abstract

We have investigated the anomalous Ettingshausen effect (AEE) in iron-carbon alloys, i.e., cast irons and steel, using the lock-in thermography. All the alloys exhibit the clear AEE-induced temperature modulation, and their anomalous Ettingshausen coefficient is an order of magnitude greater than that of the pure iron at room temperature. The dimensionless figure of merit for AEE in the ductile cast iron is 55 times greater than that in the pure iron owing to the significant increase of the anomalous Ettingshausen coefficient. Our result reveals a potential of iron-carbon alloys as transverse thermoelectric materials, although the composition and microstructures optimizations are necessary.