Switching dynamics in poly(vinylidene fluoride) and copolymers Available to Purchase

Theoretical aspects of the field dependent switching dynamics of poly(vinylidene fluoride) and its copolymers have been investigated based on the experimental data of Furukawa [T. Furukawa, Phase Transitions 18, 143 (1989)]. Starting from published theories of the polarization built up for different field strengths and its comparison to experimental results, some characteristic features are observable which are not explainable by present theories. Therefore a model is proposed which includes the electrical properties induced by the two-phase system of poly(vinylidene fluoride) that consists of a ferroelectric and a nonferroelectric phase and a depolarization factor that takes into account the shape of dipolar regimes. In addition, material homogeneities have to be incorporated by means of hysteresis in order to describe the observed reduction of total polarization for small applied electric field strength.