Thermoelectric (TE) technology enables the efficient conversion of waste heat generated in homes, transport, and industry into promptly accessible electrical energy. Such technology is thus finding increasing applications given the focus on alternative sources of energy. However, the synthesis of TE materials relies on costly and scarce elements, which are also environmentally damaging to extract. Moreover, spent TE modules lead to a waste of resources and cause severe pollution. To address these issues, many laboratory studies have explored the synthesis of TE materials using wastes and the recovery of scarce elements from spent modules, e.g., utilization of Si slurry as starting materials, development of biodegradable TE papers, and bacterial recovery and recycling of tellurium from spent TE modules. Yet, the outcomes of such work have not triggered sustainable industrial practices to the extent needed. This paper provides a systematic overview of the state of the art with a view to uncovering the opportunities and challenges for expanded application. Based on this overview, it explores a framework for synthesizing TE materials from waste sources with efficiencies comparable to those made from raw materials.

中文翻译：

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热电材料中的废物回收

热电（TE）技术可将房屋，运输和工业中产生的废热有效地转换为可立即获取的电能。因此，鉴于对替代能源的关注，这种技术正在发现越来越多的应用。然而，TE材料的合成依赖于昂贵且稀有的元素，其提取也对环境有害。此外，用完的TE模块会浪费资源并造成严重污染。为了解决这些问题，许多实验室研究已经探索了利用废物合成TE材料以及从用过的模块中回收稀有元素的方法，例如，以硅浆为原料，开发可生物降解的TE纸，以及细菌回收和回收碲。从用完的TE模块中获取。然而，这些工作的成果并未在需要的范围内触发可持续的工业实践。本文提供了最新技术的系统概述，以期发现扩展应用的机会和挑战。在此概述的基础上，它探索了一种从废物源合成TE材料的框架，其效率可与原材料制成的材料相媲美。