Studies on Transition Metal Salt Dispersed poly (Vinylidene Fluoride) Composite films

Abstract

Pure and transition metal salt (TMS) dispersed Poly (vinylidene) fluoride PVDF composite films were derived via mixed solvent systems. The composite films loaded with varying concentrations of TMS (CuCl2, NiCl2and ZnCl2) 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 10, 15,25wt% has been prepared. The chemical, structural, physical, morphological thermal and dielectric properties were studied by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-Ray diffraction, Scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetrey and LCR meter (50Hz to 1 MHz). IR spectra and XRD analysis collectively inferring about the formation of crystalline β-phase for all concentration of TMS. The conductivity measurement inferring that the metal salt content was well percolated in the PVDF matrix as the conduction of these composite films become higher with the rise in metal salt content. Highly ordered spherulites grown in the TMS- PVDF composite films were noticed. The CuCl2 and ZnCl2 based films were found more porous than that of NiCl2 based composite films. Calorimetric transitions demonstrated only on endotherm peak in all cases attributed to the melting transitions of the PVDF. The entropy was found minimum in case of CuCl2 loaded films and increases for NiCl2 and ZnCl2 systems respectively. The dielectric behaviour of these composite films does not reflecting any significant change as the magnitude of the dielectric was found same as pure PVDF.