Measuring Polymer Properties for Waste Heat Recapture

With a higher demand for renewable energies over the last decade, one form of energy that has gone unnoticed for renewable use is heat with close to 60% of all energy in the United States produced by it. Currently, this wasted heat produced by machines and other electric devices is being converted into electricity through thermoelectric devices and generators with lead telluride and bismuth telluride materials being the main alloys employed. However, due to these inorganic materials inefficiencies and restrictions at high temperatures, alternative materials need to be researched in order to recapture waste heat.

The focus of this research is to measure the thermoelectric properties of the polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), known for its high electrical conductivity and widespread use in other technologies like optoelectronics and solar cells, with the hope that this material can eventually recapture waste heat at lower temperatures than needed for inorganic materials. By creating an alternative and organic solution to the current problem faced with thermoelectric devices, this research will hopefully allow for the production of cheaper and flexible materials that can recapture waste heat at temperatures of varying amounts.