Polycarbonate based three-phase nanocomposite dielectrics

Abstract

Three-phase polycarbonate (PC) matrix nanocomposites are prepared using the solution method. One of the nanocomposite fillers is dielectric and the other is conducting. Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) is used as the dielectric filler. The conducting fillers, nano-Cu and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), are used to make two different nanocomposites, MWCNT–PZT–PC and Cu–PZT–PC. The prepared nanocomposites are characterized using density measurement, x-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. Percolation is absent in both three-phase nanocomposites within the study’s concentration window of conducting fillers. The dielectric properties of the nanocomposites are evaluated using a precision impedance analyser. The dielectric constant of the Cu–PZT–PC nanocomposite increases to 14 (a dissipation factor of 0.17), whereas in the case of the MWCNT–PZT–PC nanocomposite it increases to 8.5 (a dissipation factor of 0.002). The melting point of both nanocomposites decreases with respect to the control PC. The frequency (1 kHz to 1 MHz) and temperature (room temperature to 200 °C) dependence of the dielectric constant and dissipation factor are examined. For the Cu–PZT–PC nanocomposites, the dielectric constant decreases with increasing frequency, whereas in the case of the MWCNT–PZT–PC nanocomposites the dielectric constant is almost constant. The dielectric constant and dissipation factor exhibit a slight temperature dependence.