Dielectric relaxation of 1,2,6-hexanetriol at frequencies from 1 mHz to 10 MHz and at pressures to 1 GPa

Abstract

The complex permittivity of supercooled 1,2,6-hexanetriol has been studied at frequencies from 1 mHz to 10 MHz at pressures up to 1 GPa and at the temperatures 238 K, 248 K and 258 K. The dielectric loss peak is significantly broadened with increasing pressure. A numerical fitting routine has been developed to analyse the results in terms of the Dissado and Hill (DH) cooperative cluster model for relaxation. The peak broadening is explicitly expressed by the shape parameters of the DH theory which are associated with a change in correlation between neighbouring molecules. The relaxation results are also analysed using the Davidson and Cole function. The results of 1,2,6-hexanetriol at high pressure are compared with corresponding data for glycerol. It is found that 1,2,6-hexanetriol exhibits a higher degree of cooperative relaxation according to the DH theory, has a lower static dielectric susceptibility and has a longer characteristic relaxation time than glycerol.