PVDF/BaTiO3 composite foams with high content of β phase by thermally induced phase separation (TIPS)

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) displays ferroelectric, piezoelectric and pyroelectric behavior and it is widely used in high-tech applications including sensors, transducers, energy harvesting devices and actuators. The crystallization of this polymer into highly polar β phase is desirable but is hard to achieve without applying specific thermo-mechanical treatments. Indeed, fabrication processes directly affect PVDF molecular chain conformation, inducing distinct polymorphs. In this paper, we present the fabrication of PVDF/BaTiO3 composite foams by thermally induced phase separation method (TIPS). Different compositions are tested and characterized. The crystallinity, and in particular the development of electroactive β crystal phase is monitored by FTIR, DSC and XRD measurements. Dielectric properties are also evaluated. It turns out that TIPS is a straightforward method that clearly promotes the spontaneous growth of the β phase in PVDF and its composite foams, without the need to apply additional treatments, and also significantly improves the degree of crystallinity. BaTiO3 content gives additional value to the development of β phase and total crystallinity of the systems. The low permittivity values (between 2 and 3), combined with the cellular morphology makes these materials suitable as lightweight components of microelectronic circuits.