Enhanced figure of merit of cement composites with graphene and ZnO nanoinclusions for efficient energy harvesting in buildings

Sampad Ghosh, Sivasankaran Harish, Michitaka Ohtaki and Bidyut Baran Saha

Energy, 2020, vol. 198, issue C

Abstract: In this work, we have reported the thermoelectric performance of graphene-zinc oxide hybrid cement composites for the first time. Nanostructured graphene and zinc oxide were incorporated into cement to increase the thermoelectric properties of cement composites. The as-received materials were blended, compressed, and subsequently cured at room temperature to make it bulk. On bulk samples, electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity were measured. As a consequence of high electrical conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient, the composites exhibited a high value of thermoelectric efficiency. The maximum figure of merit (ZT) of 0.01 is obtained when the contents of graphene and ZnO are 10 wt%, respectively, by mass of cement. This ZT is the highest reported to date for the thermoelectric cement composites, a nearly 70% increase over the previous record with carbon based inclusions. High figure of merit is crucial for energy harvesting applications in future buildings.

Keywords: Cement composites; Energy harvesting; Figure of merit; Graphene nanoplatelets; Zinc oxide (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:198:y:2020:i:c:s036054422030503x

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2020.117396

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