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ZT Plus™

Amerigon's advanced technology subsidiary BSST along with its university partners have performed extensive research into the development of the next generation of thermoelectric (TE) materials. They have successfully developed materials that significantly outperform the best presently available TE materials. ZT Plus aims to complete the development of these advanced materials and to create innovative manufacturing capabilities to produce the materials in volume, and in a cost-efficient manner.

ZT Plus marks an important milestone for Amerigon. It allows Amerigon to continue its global leadership in thermoelectric technology and to continue to bring efficient, effective and practical thermoelectric solutions to market.

ZT Plus: What's in a name?

Thermoelectric Figure of Merit

The ZT of a thermoelectric material is a dimensionless unit that is used to compare the efficiencies of various materials. ZT is determined by three physical parameters: the thermopower α (also known as Seebeck factor), the electrical conductivity σ, the thermal conductivity k = ke + kph, where the ke and kph are the thermal conductivities of electrons and phonons, respectively, and the absolute temperature T

Most thermoelectric devices on the market today exhibit peak ZT value of around 1.0. As its name implies, ZT Plus will aim to increase the ZT value through the application of advanced material development and innovative manufacturing, ultimately enabling more widespread use of thermoelectric systems.

Material Advancements

Amerigon subsidiary, BSST has partnered with the Ohio State University in the development of new thermoelectric materials. A new material invented at OSU, thallium-doped lead telluride, demonstrated a p-type rating of above 1.5. Previously, the most efficient material used commercially in thermoelectric power generators was an alloy called sodium-doped lead telluride, which has a rating of 0.71. This new material is also most effective between 450 and 950 degrees Fahrenheit, a typical range for power systems such as automotive engines, making this new material attractive for power generation applications.

Article: "Cooling, Heating, Generating Power, and Recovering Waste Heat with Thermoelectric Systems"