Thermally stimulated depolarization study in polyvinylidenefluoride- polysulfone polyblend films

Abstract

Thermally stimulated depolarization currents (TSDCs) in short-and open-circuit modes in polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF)-polysulfone (PSF) polyblend have been recorded. The TSDC thermograms of PVDF and PSF in short-circuit mode show two peaks, whereas the polyblend of the two polymers shows a single peak. With the increase in PSF weight percentage in the polyblend, the magnitude of TSDC peak current increased and the peak current position shifted toward the lower temperature side. The single peak in polyblend appears at 165°C ± 10°C, which is at higher temperature than the temperature of low-temperature peak for individual polymers. This suggests that this peak may be due to dipolar polarization. Subsequently, shifting of peak toward higher temperature side with increase in polarizing temperature indicates the space charge peak. This contradiction has been explained on the basis of induced dipole theory. The behavior of short circuit TSDC could be explained in terms of the heterocharge caused by dipole orientation and ionic homocharge drift, together with the injection of charge carriers from electrodes and their subsequent localization in surface and bulk traps. However, two oppositely directed TSDC peaks observed in open-circuit mode in all the polyblend samples could be considered as the result of superposition of two overlapped and oppositely directed peaks, one caused by relaxation of dipole polarization and the other by the space charge. Thus, we have compared TSDC measured in open-and short-circuit modes to distinguish between these two relaxation processes and separate them. There is only one broad peak observed in the short-circuit mode of the polyblend, which entirely corresponds to the relaxation of dipole polarization. Insertion of a dielectric gap in the open-circuit mode does not affect the dipole current, but the space charge component flowing in the opposite direction is added to the former. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.