@article{AssagraAltafimdoCarmoetal.2020, author = {Assagra, Yuri A.O. and Altafim, Ruy Alberto Pisani and do Carmo, Joao P. and Altafim, Ruy A.C. and Rychkov, Dmitry and Wirges, Werner and Gerhard, Reimund}, title = {A new route to piezo-polymer transducers: 3D printing of polypropylene ferroelectrets}, series = {IEEE transactions on dielectrics and electrical insulation}, volume = {27}, journal = {IEEE transactions on dielectrics and electrical insulation}, number = {5}, publisher = {Inst. of Electr. and Electronics Engineers}, address = {Piscataway}, issn = {1070-9878}, doi = {10.1109/TDEI.2020.008461}, pages = {1668 -- 1674}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Here, a promising approach for producing piezo-polymer transducers in a one-step process is presented. Using 3D-printing technology and polypropylene (PP) filaments, we are able to print a two-layered film structure with regular cavities of precisely controlled size and shape. It is found that the 3D-printed samples exhibit piezoelectric coefficients up to 200 pC/N, similar to those of other PP ferroelectrets, and their temporal and thermal behavior is in good agreement with those known of PP ferroelectrets. The piezoelectric response strongly decreases for applied pressures above 20 kPa, as the pressure in the air-filled cavities strongly influences the overall elastic modulus of ferroelectrets.}, language = {en} } @article{RychkovAltafim2018, author = {Rychkov, Dmitry and Altafim, Ruy Alberto Pisani}, title = {Template-based fluoroethylenepropylene ferroelectrets with enhanced thermal stability of piezoelectricity}, series = {Journal of applied physics}, volume = {124}, journal = {Journal of applied physics}, number = {17}, publisher = {American Institute of Physics}, address = {Melville}, issn = {0021-8979}, doi = {10.1063/1.5041374}, pages = {5}, year = {2018}, abstract = {In ferroelectrets, the piezoelectricity stems from the charges of both polarities trapped on the inner surfaces of the cavities in the material, so that its thermal stability is defined by the stability of the respective charges. In the present work, a template-based lamination technique has been employed to fabricate tubular-channel ferroelectrets from fluoroethylenepropylene (FEP) films. It has been shown that the piezoelectricity in FEP ferroelectrets decays at relatively low temperatures due to the inherently lower thermal stability of the positive charge. In order to improve charge trapping, we have treated both FEP films and inner surfaces of the ferroelectret cavities with titanium-tetrachloride vapor, using the atomic-layer-deposition technique. Using surface-potential-decay measurements on FEP films, we have found that the charge-decay curves shift by more than 100 degrees C to the higher temperatures as a result of the surface treatment. Direct measurements of piezoelectric d(33) coefficients as a function of temperature have shown that the piezoelectric stability is likewise improved with the d(33)-decay curves shifted by 60 degrees C to the right. The improvement of electret/ferroelectret properties can be attributed to the formation of the deeper traps on the chemically modified FEP surface. SEM micrographs and EDS analysis reveal island-like structures with titanium- and oxygen-containing species that can be responsible for the deeper trapping of the electret charges. Published by AIP Publishing.}, language = {en} } @article{AltafimRychkovWirgesetal.2012, author = {Altafim, Ruy Alberto Pisani and Rychkov, Dmitry and Wirges, Werner and Gerhard, Reimund and Basso, Heitor Cury and Altafim, Ruy Alberto Pisani and Melzer, Martin}, title = {Laminated tubular-channel ferroelectret systems from low-density Polyethylene Films and from Fluoroethylene-propylene Copolymer Films - A comparison}, series = {IEEE transactions on dielectrics and electrical insulation}, volume = {19}, journal = {IEEE transactions on dielectrics and electrical insulation}, number = {4}, publisher = {Inst. of Electr. and Electronics Engineers}, address = {Piscataway}, issn = {1070-9878}, pages = {1116 -- 1123}, year = {2012}, abstract = {A template-based lamination technique for the manufacture of ferroelectrets from uniform electret films was recently reported. In the present work, this technique is used to prepare similar ferroelectret structures from low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films and from fluoro-ethylene-propylene (FEP) copolymer films. A comparative analysis of the pressure-, temperature-, and frequency-dependent piezoelectric properties has been performed on the two ferroelectret systems. It is observed that the FEP ferroelectrets exhibit better piezoelectric responses and are thermally more stable. The difference between the piezoelectric d(33) coefficients of the two ferroelectret systems is partially explained here by their different elastic moduli. The anti-resonance peaks of both structures have been investigated by means of dielectric resonance spectroscopy and electroacoustic sound-pressure measurements. A difference of more than 10 kHz is observed between the anti-resonance frequencies of the two ferroelectret systems.}, language = {en} } @article{AltafimAltafimQiuetal.2012, author = {Altafim, Ruy Alberto Pisani and Altafim, Ruy Alberto Pisani and Qiu, Xunlin and Raabe, Sebastian and Wirges, Werner and Basso, Heitor Cury and Gerhard, Reimund}, title = {Fluoropolymer piezoelectrets with tubular channels resonance behavior controlled by channel geometry}, series = {Applied physics : A, Materials science \& processing}, volume = {107}, journal = {Applied physics : A, Materials science \& processing}, number = {4}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {0947-8396}, doi = {10.1007/s00339-012-6848-z}, pages = {965 -- 970}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Ferro- or piezoelectrets are dielectric materials with two elastically very different macroscopic phases and electrically charged interfaces between them. One of the newer piezoelectret variants is a system of two fluoroethylenepropylene (FEP) films that are first laminated around a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) template. Then, by removing the PTFE template, a two-layer FEP structure with open tubular channels is obtained. After electrical charging, the channels form easily deformable macroscopic electric dipoles whose changes under mechanical or electrical stress lead to significant direct or inverse piezoelectricity, respectively. Here, different PTFE templates are employed to generate channel geometries that vary in height or width. It is shown that the control of the channel geometry allows a direct adjustment of the resonance frequencies in the tubular-channel piezoelectrets. By combining several different channel widths in a single ferroelectret, it is possible to obtain multiple resonance peaks that may lead to a rather flat frequency-response region of the transducer material. A phenomenological relation between the resonance frequency and the geometrical parameters of a tubular channel is also presented. This relation may help to design piezoelectrets with a specific frequency response.}, language = {en} } @article{RychkovAltafimQiuetal.2012, author = {Rychkov, Dmitry and Altafim, Ruy Alberto Pisani and Qiu, Xunlin and Gerhard, Reimund}, title = {Treatment with orthophosphoric acid enhances the thermal stability of the piezoelectricity in low-density polyethylene ferroelectrets}, series = {Journal of applied physics}, volume = {111}, journal = {Journal of applied physics}, number = {12}, publisher = {American Institute of Physics}, address = {Melville}, issn = {0021-8979}, doi = {10.1063/1.4729866}, pages = {5}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Ferroelectrets have been fabricated from low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films by means of a template-based lamination. The temperature dependence of the piezoelectric d(33) coefficient has been investigated. It was found that low-density polyethylene ferroelectrets have rather low thermal stability with the piezoelectric coefficient decaying almost to zero already at 100 degrees C. This behavior is attributed to the poor electret properties of the polyethylene films used for the fabrication of the ferroelectrets. In order to improve the charge trapping and the thermal stability of electret charge and piezoelectricity, LDPE ferroelectrets were treated with orthophosphoric acid. The treatment resulted in considerable improvements of the charge stability in LDPE films and in ferroelectret systems made from them. For example, the charge and piezoelectric-coefficient decay curves shifted to higher temperatures by 60 K and 40 K, respectively. It is shown that the decay of the piezoelectric coefficient in LDPE ferroelectrets is governed by the relaxation of less stable positive charges. The treatment also leads to noticeable changes in the chemical composition of the LDPE surface. Infrared spectroscopy reveals absorption bands attributed to phosphorus-containing structures, while scanning electron microscopy shows new island-like structures, 50-200 nm in diameter, on the modified surface.}, language = {en} } @article{ChinagliaGregorioStefanelloetal.2010, author = {Chinaglia, Dante Luis and Gregorio, Rinaldo and Stefanello, Josiani Cristina and Altafim, Ruy Alberto Pisani and Wirges, Werner and Wang, Feipeng and Gerhard, Reimund}, title = {Influence of the solvent evaporation rate on the crystalline phases of solution-cast poly(vinylidene fluoride) films}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/App.31488}, year = {2010}, abstract = {The influence of the solvent-evaporation rate on the formation of of. and P crystalline phases in solution-cast poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) films was systematically investigated. Films were crystallized from PVDF/N,N- dimethylformamide solutions with concentrations of 2.5, 5.0, 10, and 20 wt \% at different temperatures. During crystallization, the solvent evaporation rate was monitored in situ by means of a semianalytic balance. With this system, it was possible to determine the evaporation rate for different concentrations and temperatures of the solution under specific ambient conditions (pressure, temperature, and humidity). Fourier-Transform InfraRed spectroscopy with Attenuated Total Reflectance revealed the P-phase content in the PVDF films and its dependence on previous evaporation rates. Based on the relation between the evaporation rate and the PVDF phase composition, a consistent explanation for the different amounts of P phase observed at the upper and lower sample surfaces is achieved. Furthermore, the role of the sample thickness has also been studied. The experimental results show that not only the temperature but also the evaporation rate have to be controlled to obtain the desired crystalline phases in solution-cast PVDF films.}, language = {en} } @article{AltafimQiuWirgesetal.2009, author = {Altafim, Ruy Alberto Pisani and Qiu, Xunlin and Wirges, Werner and Gerhard, Reimund and Altafim, Ruy Alberto Pisani and Basso, Heitor Cury and Jenninger, Werner and Wagner, Joachim}, title = {Template-based fluoroethylenepropylene piezoelectrets with tubular channels for transducer applications}, issn = {0021-8979}, doi = {10.1063/1.3159039}, year = {2009}, abstract = {We describe the concept, the fabrication, and the most relevant properties of a piezoelectric-polymer system: Two fluoroethylenepropylene (FEP) films with good electret properties are laminated around a specifically designed and prepared polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) template at 300 degrees C. After removing the PTFE template, a two-layer FEP film with open tubular channels is obtained. For electric charging, the two-layer FEP system is subjected to a high electric field. The resulting dielectric barrier discharges inside the tubular channels yield a ferroelectret with high piezoelectricity. d(33) coefficients of up to 160 pC/N have already been achieved on the ferroelectret films. After charging at suitable elevated temperatures, the piezoelectricity is stable at temperatures of at least 130 degrees C. Advantages of the transducer films include ease of fabrication at laboratory or industrial scales, a wide range of possible geometrical and processing parameters, straightforward control of the uniformity of the polymer system, flexibility, and versatility of the soft ferroelectrets, and a large potential for device applications e.g., in the areas of biomedicine, communications, production engineering, sensor systems, environmental monitoring, etc.}, language = {en} } @article{BassoAltafimAltafimetal.2007, author = {Basso, Heitor Cury and Altafim, Ruy Alberto Pisani and Altafim, Ruy Alberto Pisani and Mellinger, Axel and Fang, Peng and Wirges, Werner and Gerhard, Reimund}, title = {Three-layer ferroelectrets from perforated Teflon-PTFE films fused between two homogeneous Teflon-FEP films}, isbn = {978-1-4244-1482-6}, year = {2007}, language = {en} } @article{AltafimBassoAltafimetal.2006, author = {Altafim, Ruy Alberto Pisani and Basso, Heitor Cury and Altafim, Ruy Alberto Pisani and Lima, L. and de Aquino, C. V. and Goncalves Neto, Luiz and Gerhard, Reimund}, title = {Piezoelectrets from thermo-formed bubble structures of fluoropolymer-electret films}, issn = {1070-9878}, doi = {10.1109/TDEI.2006.247822}, year = {2006}, abstract = {The acetone extracts of the root bark and stem bark of Erythrina sacleuxii showed antiplasmodial activities against the chloroquine-sensitive (D6) and chloroquine-resistant (W2) strains of Plasmodium falciparum. Chromatographic separation of the acetone extract of the root bark afforded a new isoflavone, 7-hydroxy-4 -methoxy-3'- prenylisoflavone (trivial name 5-deoxy-3' - prenylbiochanin A) along with known isoflavonoids as the antiplasmodial principles. Flavonoids and isoflavonoids isolated from the stem bark of E. sucleuxii were also tested and showed antiplasmodial activities. The structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic evidence.}, language = {en} } @article{BassoAquinoAltafimetal.2006, author = {Basso, Heitor Cury and Aquino, C. V. and Altafim, Ruy Alberto Pisani and Altafim, Ruy Alberto Pisani and Gerhard, Reimund}, title = {Piezoelectricity of a single bubble formed by two oppositely charged Teflon-FEP films}, isbn = {1-4244-0547-5}, year = {2006}, language = {en} }