Abstract
Polymer matrix nanocomposites with embedded ferroelectric barium titanate particles were developed and characterized. The utility of such nanocomposites is the energy storage capability that they exhibit, besides their low weight and cost, in comparison to materials that are customarily used for this purpose. The polymers that have been used as matrices in the composites belong to the three most usable thermosetting polymer resins (novolacs, unsaturated polyesters, and epoxy resins), were either laboratory synthesized or commercially supplied. Structure and morphology of the produced composite specimens were studied via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Thermal, mechanical and electrical performance was examined via Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), bending and shear strength tests (three-point method), and Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS), respectively. Mechanical shear and bending strength values were determined, as well as mechanical failure mode (brittle or elastomer) were estimated. Dielectric measurements disclosed the presence of four relaxation processes (α-mode, β-mode, and γ-mode) and Interfacial Polarization between the system’s constituents. The comparative study ended with the calculation of energy density, so that the energy storing capability could be estimated.
Highlights
A new generation of composite materials has attracted the scientific interest, worldwide
The direct poly-esterification reaction was self-catalyzed by the carboxyl groups of the acids components, but due to the reduction in concentration of these groups, as the progress of synthesis reaction carried on with increasing conversation, other catalysts were often employed to maintain the rate of reaction
As far as the synthesis stage had finished, unsaturated polyesters were mixed with 30% w/w styrene, so that product was ready for the curing process
Summary
A new generation of composite materials has attracted the scientific interest, worldwide. The development and study of polymer matrix composite materials with embedded ceramic inclusions, at the nano-scale level, appears to be the focal point of many research efforts [1,2,3]. These types of materials exhibit a set of attracting electrical properties, which can be exploited in many technological fields and in various uses, such as sensors, actuators, capacitors for storing electric energy, or even as parts of smart materials. The purpose of using polymers as the matrices of the composite materials is to enclose and protect the barium titanate nano-particles from external factors and to create a new integral composite material [1,2,3,4,5,6]
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