Konstantinos Chrissafis1,Evangelia Tarani1,Dimitrios Stathokostopoulos1,Dimitris Karfaridis1,Ioanna Sfampa2,Fani Stergioudi1,Nikolaos Michailidis1,George Vourlias1
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki1,KLEEMANN2
Konstantinos Chrissafis1,Evangelia Tarani1,Dimitrios Stathokostopoulos1,Dimitris Karfaridis1,Ioanna Sfampa2,Fani Stergioudi1,Nikolaos Michailidis1,George Vourlias1
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki1,KLEEMANN2
The operation of the elevators inside and/or outside the buildings requires the installation of additional functions in the cabin. However, the use of conventional air conditioners has a detrimental effect on the construction level, energy consumption, noise level in the cabin, and the environment. An innovative method that can be applied alternatively in order to overcome most of these problems is the use of suitable thermoelectric air conditioners. In this direction, thermal storage plays a key role to lower building energy consumption. The thermoelectric materials community has made significant progress on nanostructured and process able materials to improve efficiency and flexibility, reducing manufacturing costs. Selenide compounds, such as Ag<sub>2</sub>Se and Cu<sub>2</sub>Se, have received a lot of attention because of their promising capabilities in thermoelectric applications. Additionally, Ag, Cu, and Se are less toxic than Bi, Pb, Sb, and Te, while Se is about 10 times more abundant than Te.<br/>Two different methods for the synthesis of Ag<sub>2</sub>Se and Cu<sub>2</sub>Se compounds have been used. The first one is the high-energy ball milling (HEBM) process, which is a powerful solid-state synthesis/powder mechanical alloying method, using different milling times (1-20 hours). The second one is the simple, cost-effective, and eco-friendly technique of pack cementation. The structural and morphological characterization of the synthesized selenides was studied by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The thermal stability of the prepared samples was examined by Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).<br/>The synthesis of samples with the pack cementation method is the result of a reactive diffusion process due to the reaction of the donor materials with the products of the halide activator.<br/><br/><b>Acknowledgments: </b><br/>This research was carried out as part of the project «Design and implementation of innovative lift's air-conditioning systems by using thermoelectric devices» (Project code: ΚΜΡ6-0074109) under the framework of the Action «Investment Plans of Innovation» of the Operational Program «Central Macedonia 2014 2020», that is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Greece.