AC conductivity studies of PVA/Al2O3 composites

Abstract

Abstract Polymeric materials have special interest because they are useful for the development of advanced high energy electrochemical devices and photo electro-chemical cells. The importance of polymers is mainly because polymers are still regarded as a cheap alternative material. Recently polymer matrix-ceramic composites receive increased attention due to their electrical and electronic properties. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) has especially been given a great deal of attention due to the characteristics of easy preparation, good biodegradability, excellent chemical resistance and good mechanical properties. Alumina is one of the most widely used engineering ceramic material due to its high elastic modulus, high wear resistance and chemical corrosion resistance, high-temperature stability and the retention of strength at high temperatures. In this work, PVA/ Al2O3 composites were prepared by using sol gel method. The composite samples were characterized by XRD, FTIR, DSC and SEM. The incorporation of Al2O3 improved the structural, morphological, and conductivity properties of the composite. The dielectric and a.c. conductivity of the samples were found to increase with increase in the concentration of Al2O3 and temperature. The synthesized polymer composites were suitable for different technological applications.