Effects of Conductive Carbon Black on Thermal and Electrical Properties of Barium Titanate/Polyvinylidene Fluoride Composites for Road Application

Abstract

In the field of roads, due to the effect of vehicle loads, piezoelectric materials under the road surface can convert mechanical vibration into electrical energy, which can be further used in road facilities such as traffic signals and street lamps. The barium titanate/polyvinylidene fluoride (BaTiO3/PVDF) composite, the most common hybrid ceramic-polymer system, was widely used in various fields because the composite combines the good dielectric property of ceramic materials with the good flexibility of PVDF material. Previous studies have found that conductive particles can further improve the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of other composites. However, few studies have investigated the effect of conductive carbon black on the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of BaTiO3/PVDF composites. In this study, BaTiO3/PVDF/conductive carbon black composites were prepared with various conductive carbon black contents based on the optimum ratio of BaTiO3 to PVDF. The effects of conductive carbon black content on the morphologies, thermal performance, conductivities, dielectric properties, and piezoelectric properties of the BaTiO3/PVDF/conductive carbon black composites were then investigated. The addition of conductive carbon black greatly enhances the conductivities, dielectric properties, and piezoelectric properties of the BaTiO3/PVDF/conductive carbon black composites, especially when the carbon black content is 0.8% by weight of PVDF. Additionally, the conductive carbon black does not have an obvious effect on the morphologies and thermal stabilities of BaTiO3/PVDF/conductive carbon black composites.