Influence of BaTiO3 submicrometric particles on the structure, morphology, and crystallization behavior of poly(vinylidene fluoride)

Real uniform dispersion of barium titanate, BaTiO3, submicrometric particles within Poly(vinylidene fluoride), PVDF, was achieved to understand induced structure, morphology, and crystallization process of the polymer. Composites with uniform dispersions of BaTiO3 particles within PVDF were accomplished for the first time, blending the polymer with particles by high energy ball milling, HEBM. Different compositions in PVDF/BaTiO3 composite were considered (0, 1, 5, and 10 weight percent of particles). Morphology and structure were studied by scanning electron microscopy, SEM, and X-ray diffraction, XRD, respectively. From dynamic experiments by differential scanning calorimetry, DSC, thermal transitions were determined and melting and crystallization processes were studied. To understand the main mechanism by which specific morphologies can be obtained a deep kinetic analysis of the PVDF crystallization process was carried out. Cooling rate and BaTiO3 content did not provide important variations in the PVDF crystalline structure and morphology; however, the presence of BaTiO3 particles seemed to favor an athermal nucleation, leading to higher fraction of crystals in shorter times. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41497.

Influence of BaTiO3 submicrometric particles on the structure, morphology, and crystallization behavior of poly(vinylidene fluoride) Articles