A capacitive humidity sensor using cross-linked cellulose acetate butyrate

This paper reports on the fabrication of a new capacitive humidity sensor having good characteristics and being robust enough to be considered as a component in industrial processes.This sensor is manufactured using a mixture of three cellulose acetate butyrates cross-linked by a melamine formaldehyde resin as sensing material. Details of the fabrication process and sensor characteristics such as linearity, sensitivity, hysteresis, response time, maximum operating temperature or physical and chemical stresses influence are included

Fragility of a thermoplastic polymer. Influence of main chain rigidity in polycarbonate

We present new data on a vitreous polycarbonate (PC) and its fragility index. Measurements have been performed by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). A comparison with other data already published in this field and concerning other linear polymers is made. We show that when experiments are performed by means of DSC, the use of the glass-forming liquid fragility concept does not lead to large enough variations of the fragility index values. Thus, any correlation with structural characteristics of linear polymers, is not possible, except in the case of main chain rigidity

Study of poly(bisphenol A carbonate) relaxation kinetics at the glass transition temperature

In this work, the variations of the relaxation times are investigated above and below the glass transition temperature of a model amorphous polymer, the polycarbonate. Three different techniques (calorimetric, dielectric and thermostimulated currents) are used to achieve this goal. The relaxation time at the glass transition temperature was determined at the temperature dependence convergence of the relaxation times calculated with dynamic dielectric spectroscopy (DDS) for the liquid state and thermostimulated depolarisation currents (TSDC) for the vitreous state. We find a value of s(Tg) = 110 s for PC samples. The knowledge of the temperature dependence, s(T), and the value s(Tg) enables to determine the glass-forming liquid fragility index, m. We find m = 178 ± 5

Dielectric relaxations and ferroelectric behaviour of even–odd polyamide PA 6,9

Thermo Stimulated Current (TSC) combined with Dynamic Dielectric Spectroscopy (DDS) have been applied to the investigation of dielectric relaxation modes of an even–odd Polyamide PA 6,9. The correlation between results obtained by both methods allows us to describe precisely the molecular mobility. At high temperature, the various dielectric relaxation phenomena are separated by applying the dielectric modulus formalism. The comparison between the activation enthalpy values obtained by DDS and TSC leads to the assignment of the so-called α mode to cooperative movements of polymeric sequences. Molecular mobility of PA 6,9 is compared with the one of PA 11. The piezoelectric activity of PA 6,9 is shown and analyzed

Film formation analysis by diffusive wave spectroscopy

The thin layer analysis is very important for several sectors of industry. Indeed, environmental laws and improvement of performances lead the manufacturers to innovate in the field of coatings and paints. Several classical techniques of characterization (TGA, DMA, etc.) used with this intention do not allow to perform the analysis in situ and are often long and tedious to set up. We propose to solve this problem with a newoptical process. Its technology based on multi-speckle diffusivewave spectroscopy (MS-DWS) allows making real-time analysis in a non-destructive way thanks to an optical measurement. The aim of this work is to highlight correlations between this new technology and the classical methods of analysis. Two film forming polymeric materials were studied, a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and a commercial paint based on an aqueous dispersion of acrylic copolymers. The PDMSwas chosen for the simplicity of its film forming process and is used as model. The paint having a more complex drying mechanism enables to complete this study

Aging Effect and Induced Electric Phenomena on Dielectric Materials Irradiated With High Energy Electrons

The high radiation dose received by space used polymers may greatly alter their electric properties. This effect could, for instance, reduce significantly radiation-induced conductivity (RIC) leading to high charging risks that were not predicted from pristine sample. For an optimized qualification and prediction, it is therefore highly important to characterize the charging properties of polymers and their evolution as a function of the received dose. This paper aimed at studying aging of electric properties of four different polymers (Teflon FEP, Kapton, polyepoxy DP 490 adhesive, and silicon QS1123 adhesive) at high dose level (105 and 106 Gy). We have been able to demonstrate that aging could lead to the reduction of RIC on some polymers (for polyepoxy and silicone adhesives, and FEP) or inversely to the increase of RIC on others (e.g., Kapton). Ionization effect must, however, be considered in the analysis of the results. Relaxation processes could drastically affect the charging profile and macroscopic electric properties

Transitions/relaxations in polyester adhesive/PET system

The correlations between the transitions and the dielectric relaxation processes of the oriented poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) pre-impregnated of the polyester thermoplastic adhesive have been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic dielectric spectroscopy (DDS). The thermoplastic polyester adhesive and the oriented PET films have been studied as reference samples. This study evidences that the adhesive chain segments is responsible for the physical structure evolution in the PET-oriented film. The transitions and dielectric relaxation modes’ evolutions in the glass transition region appear characteristic of the interphase between adhesive and PET film, which is discussed in terms of molecular mobility. The storage at room temperature of the adhesive tape involves the heterogeneity of the physical structure, characterized by glass transition dissociation. Thus, the correlation between the transitions and the dielectric relaxation processes evidences a segregation of the amorphous phases. Therefore, the physical structure and the properties of the material have been linked to the chemical characteristics

A capacitive humidity sensor using cross-linked cellulose acetate butyrate

International audienceThis paper reports on the fabrication of a new capacitive humidity sensor having good characteristics and being robust enough to be considered as a component in industrial processes.This sensor is manufactured using a mixture of three cellulose acetate butyrates cross-linked by a melamine formaldehyde resin as sensing material. Details of the fabrication process and sensor characteristics such as linearity, sensitivity, hysteresis, response time, maximum operating temperature or physical and chemical stresses influence are included

Structural evolution of PVDF during storage or annealing

International audienceThe effect of annealing PVDF at temperatures above Tg and below Tm was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermostimulated current spectroscopy (TSC) and solid-state NMR. This study evidences a progressive structural evolution, taking place during such annealing. Its characteristics (kinetics and its temperature dependence, lack of reversibility at lower temperature over extended periods of time, double organization corresponding to double annealing with unmodified kinetics) point to a mechanism of secondary crystallization as described by Marand et al. In addition to the formation of extra crystalline (hence rigid) material, this phenomenon is believed to generate increasing conformational constraints in the residual amorphous material. Accordingly, a progressive reduction of the molecular mobility was demonstrated by NMR during annealing

Glass Transition Temperature Depression at the Percolation Threshold in Carbon Nanotube-Epoxy Resin and Polypyrrole-Epoxy Resin Composites

International audienceThe glass transition temperatures of conducting composites, obtained by blending carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or polypyrrole (PPy) particles with epoxy resin, were investigated by using both differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamical mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). For both composites, dc and ac conductivity measurements revealed an electrical percolation threshold at which the glass transition temperature and mechanical modulus of the composites pass through a minimum