Electrical Conduction in 0–3 BaTiO₃/PVDF Composites

Abstract

(1-x)PVDF-xBaTiO₃ ceramic-polymer composites with x = 0.10, 0.20, 0.30 were prepared using melt growth technique. The crystal symmetry, space group and unit cell dimensions were determined from the XRD data of BaTiO₃ using FullProf software, whereas crystallite size and lattice strain were estimated through Williamson-Hall approach. The distribution of BaTiO₃ particles in the PVDF matrix were examined using a scanning electron microscope. The correlated barrier hopping model has been applied to the ac conductivity data in order to ascertain the conduction mechanism of charge transport in BaTiO₃/PVDF composites. Also, the ac conductivity data have been used to estimate the apparent activation energy, density of states at Fermi level and minimum hopping length. Filler concentration dependent ac conductivity, density of states at Fermi level and minimum hopping length data followed definite trends of exponential growth/decay types of variation.

Keywords:

• Random composite medium
• ac conductivity
• electrical conduction
• hopping mechanism and BaTiO₃/PVDF composite

PACS:

• 77.20+y
• 77.22-d
• 77.84lf
• 77.90+r
• 78.70Gq

Acknowledgment

The financial support for the present work by the Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi under Grant No. SR/S2/CMP-0017/2008, is gratefully acknowledged.