Electrical and mechanical response of spin-coated PVDF-TrFE formed from MIBK and DMSO solvents under external excitations

Abstract

Flexible polymer piezoelectric materials are of interest in electro-mechanical applications; however, the mechanical and electrical properties of these materials can be affected by their formation. In this study vibrational analysis was performed to explore the mechanical and electrical properties of piezoelectric PVDF-TrFE polymer using external excitations. Frequency response study of cantilever cantilevers was used to explore the natural mechanical response of a flexible KAPTON cantilever coated with PVDF-TrFE of different concentrations, and with different solvent formations. It is found that the mechanical response of the PVDF-TrFE coated KAPTON cantilever has reduced vibration amplitude when a combined Methyl Isobutyl Ketone (MIBK) and Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) is used, but it is not affected with only MIBK is used. When using a combined MIBK and DMSO solvent, the 1.25%w/v PVDF-TrFE material was easily mixed, and it possessed a higher piezoelectric electrical response to the MIBK solutions. The piezoelectrical coefficients were also calculated by applying a dynamic force to the cantilevers and found that q31 of cantilever coated with the PVDF formed using the mixture of DMSO and MIBK solution is higher than that formed using MIBK.