Huge nanodielectric effects in polyimide/boron nitride nanocomposites revealed by the nanofiller size

Abstract

The dielectric properties of polyimide/boron nitride (PI/BN) nanocomposite films are investigated as a function of the BN nanofiller size from 20 to 350 °C and at low filler content (1–2 vol.%). The role of the BN nanofiller size on the large reduction of the electrode polarization relaxation phenomenon due to ionic movements is reported. For the two smallest BN nanoparticles (95 nm and 35 nm), the permittivity, dielectric losses and dc conductivity are strongly attenuated above 200 °C by a factor of 10 to 1000 compared to neat PI. Thus, the dc conductivity at 350 °C is reduced from 4 × 10−8 Ω−1 cm−1 for neat PI to 3 × 10−11 Ω−1 cm−1 for PI/BN (35 nm). Moreover, a further decrease is obtained by functionalizing the nanofiller surface with a silane coupling agent which improves the grafting of PI chains on those latter nanoparticles. These results highlight the trapping efficiency in the interphase region introduced by the small BN nanofillers (<100 nm) and provides evidence as to the huge nanodielectric effects on the charge carrier transport controlled by the nanoparticle diameter. This finding should be of great importance for advanced high temperature electrical insulation in the future.