AVS 51st International Symposium
    Thin Films Monday Sessions
       Session TF-MoP

Paper TF-MoP7
Water Absorption and Dielectric Changes in Crystalline Poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) Copolymer Films

Monday, November 15, 2004, 5:00 pm, Room Exhibit Hall B

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: L.G. Rosa, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Authors: L.G. Rosa, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
P.A. Jacobson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
C.M. Othon, University of Nebraska-LIncoln
K.L. Kraemer, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
A.V. Sorokin, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
S. Ducharme, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
P.A. Dowben, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Correspondent: Click to Email
Crystalline Langmuir Blodgett Copolymer films of vinylidene fluoride with trifluoroethylene (70%:30% and 80%:20%) absorbs water. Water absorption is accompained by film swelling as indicated by an increase in lattice spacing, sometimes by as much as 5%. This water absorption, between 0°C and 40°C, is a result of intercalation or occupation of interstitial sites between the layers of the film, not just water molecules filling voids and deffects site alone. An increase in the film capacitance is observed, although the polymer chains retain all trans configuration of the ferroelectric phase.