TY - JOUR A1 - Wang, Jingwen A1 - Rychkov, Dmitry A1 - Nguyen, Quyet Doan A1 - Gerhard, Reimund T1 - The influence of orthophosphoric-acid surface modification on charge-storage enhancement in polypropylene electrets JF - Journal of applied physics N2 - Bipolar electrets from polypropylene (PP) are essential, e.g., in electret air filters and in cellular-foam ferroelectrets. Therefore, the mechanism of surface-charge stability enhancement on PP electrets via orthophosphoric-acid surface treatment is investigated in detail. It is shown that the significant charge-stability enhancement can be mainly attributed to deeper surface traps originating from deposited chemicals and topographic features on the modified surfaces. Thermally stimulated discharge of chemically treated and non-treated PP films with different surface-charge densities is used to test the limits of the newly formed deep traps in terms of the capacity for hosting surface charges. When the initial surface-charge density is very high, more charges are forced into shallower original traps on the surface or in the bulk of the treated PP samples, reducing the effect of the deeper surface traps brought by the surface modification. The well-known crossover phenomenon (of the surface-charge decay curves) has been observed between modified PP electrets charged to +/- 2kV and to +/- 3kV. Acoustically probed charge distributions in the thickness direction of PP electrets at different stages of thermal discharging indicate that the deep surface trapping sites may have preference for negative charges, resulting in the observed asymmetric charge stability of the modified PP films. Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0013805 SN - 0021-8979 SN - 1089-7550 VL - 128 IS - 3 PB - American Institute of Physics CY - Melville ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wang, Jingwen A1 - Rychkov, Dmitry A1 - Nguyen, Quyet Doan A1 - Gerhard, Reimund T1 - Unexpected bipolar space-charge polarization across transcrystalline interfaces in polypropylene electret films JF - Journal of applied physics N2 - A double-layer transcrystalline polypropylene (PP) film with a flat central interface layer between its two transcrystalline layers is obtained by recrystallization from the melt between two polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) surfaces on both sides of the PP film. Its electret properties are studied and compared with those of a single-layer transcrystalline PP film re-crystallized in contact with only one PTFE surface. Within experimental uncertainty, the two types of transcrystalline films exhibit the same thermal properties and crystallinities. After thermal poling, however, two hetero-charge layers of opposite polarity are found on the internal interfaces of the double-layer transcrystalline films and may together be considered as micrometer-sized dipoles. The unexpected phenomenon does not occur in single-layer transcrystalline samples without a central interface layer, suggesting that the interfaces between the transcrystalline layers and the micrometer-thick central interface layer may be the origin of deeper traps rather than the crystalline structures in the transcrystallites or the spherulites. The origin of the interfacial charges was also studied by means of an injection-blocking charging method, which revealed that intrinsic charge carriers introduced during recrystallization are most likely responsible for the interfacial charges. It is fascinating that a material as familiar as PP can exhibit such intriguing properties with a special bipolar space-charge polarization across the central interface layer after quasi-epitaxial surface moulding into a double-layer transcrystalline form. In addition to applications in electret (micro-)devices for electro-mechanical transduction, the highly ordered structures may also be employed as a new paradigm for studying charge storage and transport in polymer electrets and in dielectrics for DC electrical insulation. Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0022071 SN - 0021-8979 SN - 1089-7550 VL - 128 IS - 13 PB - American Institute of Physics, AIP CY - Melville, NY ER - TY - GEN A1 - Nguyen, Quyet Doan A1 - Wang, Jingwen A1 - Rychkov, Dmitry A1 - Gerhard, Reimund T1 - Depth Profile and Transport of Positive and Negative Charge in Surface (2-D) and Bulk (3-D) Nanocomposite Films T2 - 2nd International Conference on Electrical Materials and Power Equipment (ICEMPE 2019) N2 - In the present study, the charge distribution and the charge transport across the thickness of 2- and 3-dimensional polymer nanodielectrics was investigated. Chemically surface-treated polypropylene (PP) films and low-density polyethylene nanocomposite films with 3 wt % of magnesium oxide (LDPE/MgO) served as examples of 2-D and 3-D nanodielectrics, respectively. Surface charges were deposited onto the non-metallized surfaces of the one-side metallized polymer films and found to broaden and to thus enter the bulk of the films upon thermal stimulation at suitable elevated temperatures. The resulting space-charge profiles in the thickness direction were probed by means of Piezoelectrically-generated Pressure Steps (PPSs). It was observed that the chemical surface treatment of PP which led to the formation of nano-structures or the use of bulk nanoparticles from LDPE/MgO nanocomposites enhance charge trapping on or in the respective polymer films and also reduce charge transport inside the respective samples. KW - LDPE nanocomposites KW - MgO nanoparticles KW - Space charge KW - Charge transport KW - Charge stability KW - Acoustic probing of electric-field profiles KW - Piezoelectrically generated Pressure Steps (PPSs) Y1 - 2019 SN - 978-1-5386-8434-4 SN - 978-1-5386-8435-1 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1109/ICEMPE.2019.8727256 SP - 298 EP - 300 PB - IEEE CY - New York ER - TY - GEN A1 - Nguyen, Quyet Doan A1 - Gerhard, Reimund T1 - LDPE/MgO Nanocomposite Dielectrics for Electrical-Insulation and Ferroelectret-Transducer Applications T2 - 2018 IEEE 2nd International Conference on Dielectrics (ICD) N2 - Published results on LDPE/MgO nanocomposites (3wt%) show that they promise to be good electrical-insulation materials. In this work, the nanocomposites are examined as a potential (ferro-)electret material as well. Isothermal surface-potential decay measurements show that charged LDPE/MgO films still exhibit significant surface potentials after heating for 4 hours at 80 degrees C, which suggests good capabilities of LDPE/MgO nanocomposites to hold electric charges of both polarities. Open-tubular-channel ferroelectrets prepared from LDPE/MgO nanocomposite films show significant piezoelectricity with d(33) coefficients of about 20 pC/N after charging and are stable up to temperatures of at least 80 degrees C. Thus LDPE/MgO nanocomposites may become available as a new ferroelectret material. To increase their d(33) coefficients, it is desirable to optimize the charging conditions and the ferroelectret structure. KW - ferroelectrets KW - LDPE nanocomposites KW - electroacoustic probing KW - space-charge and polarization profiles KW - thermally stimulated discharge Y1 - 2018 SN - 978-1-5386-6389-9 SN - 978-1-5386-6388-2 SN - 978-1-5386-6390-5 PB - IEEE CY - New York ER - TY - THES A1 - Nguyen, Quyet Doan T1 - Electro-acoustical probing of space-charge and dipole-polarization profiles in polymer dielectrics for electret and electrical-insulation applications T1 - Elektroakustische Abtastung von elektrischen Ladungs- und Polarisationsprofilen in Polymerfolien für Elektret- und Isolations-Anwendungen N2 - Electrets are dielectrics with quasi-permanent electric charge and/or dipoles, sometimes can be regarded as an electric analogy to a magnet. Since the discovery of the excellent charge retention capacity of poly(tetrafluoro ethylene) and the invention of the electret microphone, electrets have grown out of a scientific curiosity to an important application both in science and technology. The history of electret research goes hand in hand with the quest for new materials with better capacity at charge and/or dipole retention. To be useful, electrets normally have to be charged/poled to render them electro-active. This process involves electric-charge deposition and/or electric dipole orientation within the dielectrics ` surfaces and bulk. Knowledge of the spatial distribution of electric charge and/or dipole polarization after their deposition and subsequent decay is crucial in the task to improve their stability in the dielectrics. Likewise, for dielectrics used in electrical insulation applications, there are also needs for accumulated space-charge and polarization spatial profiling. Traditionally, space-charge accumulation and large dipole polarization within insulating dielectrics is considered undesirable and harmful to the insulating dielectrics as they might cause dielectric loss and could lead to internal electric field distortion and local field enhancement. High local electric field could trigger several aging processes and reduce the insulating dielectrics' lifetime. However, with the advent of high-voltage DC transmission and high-voltage capacitor for energy storage, these are no longer the case. There are some overlapped between the two fields of electrets and electric insulation. While quasi-permanently trapped electric-charge and/or large remanent dipole polarization are the requisites for electret operation, stably trapped electric charge in electric insulation helps reduce electric charge transport and overall reduced electric conductivity. Controlled charge trapping can help in preventing further charge injection and accumulation as well as serving as field grading purpose in insulating dielectrics whereas large dipole polarization can be utilized in energy storage applications. In this thesis, the Piezoelectrically-generated Pressure Steps (PPSs) were employed as a nondestructive method to probe the electric-charge and dipole polarization distribution in a range of thin film (several hundred micron) polymer-based materials, namely polypropylene (PP), low-density polyethylene/magnesium oxide (LDPE/MgO) nanocomposites and poly(vinylidene fluoride-co- trifluoro ethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) copolymer. PP film surface-treated with phosphoric acid to introduce surfacial isolated nanostructures serves as example of 2-dimensional nano-composites whereas LDPE/MgO serves as the case of 3-dimensional nano-composites with MgO nano-particles dispersed in LDPE polymer matrix. It is evidenced that the nanoparticles on the surface of acid-treated PP and in the bulk of LDPE/MgO nanocomposites improve charge trapping capacity of the respective material and prevent further charge injection and transport and that the enhanced charge trapping capacity makes PP and LDPE/MgO nanocomposites potential materials for both electret and electrical insulation applications. As for PVDF and VDF-based copolymers, the remanent spatial polarization distribution depends critically on poling method as well as specific parameters used in the respective poling method. In this work, homogeneous polarization poling of P(VDF-TrFE) copolymers with different VDF-contents have been attempted with hysteresis cyclical poling. The behaviour of remanent polarization growth and spatial polarization distribution are reported and discussed. The Piezoelectrically-generated Pressure Steps (PPSs) method has proven as a powerful method for the charge storage and transport characterization of a wide range of polymer material from nonpolar, to polar, to polymer nanocomposites category. N2 - Elektrete sind Dielektrika mit quasi-permanenter elektrischer Ladung und/oder quasi-permanent ausgerichteten elektrischen Dipolen - das elektrische Analogon zu einem Magneten. Seit der Entdeckung der besonders hohen Stabilitaet negativer Raumladungen in Polytetrafluorethylen (PTFE, Handelsname Teflon) und der Erfindung des Elektretmikrofons ist aus der spannenden wissenschaftlichen Fragestellung nach den Ursachen der hervorragenden Ladungsspeicherung in Elektreten auch eine wichtige technische Anwendung geworden. In der Geschichte der Elektretforschung und der Elektretanwendungen geht es neben der Ursachenklaerung auch immer um die Suche nach neuen Materialien mit besserer Ladungsspeicherung und/oder Dipolpolarisation. Elektretmaterialien muessen in der Regel elektrisch aufgeladen oder gepolt werden, um die gewuenschten elektroaktiven Eigenschaften zu erhalten. Dabei werden entweder elektrische Ladungen auf der Oberflaeche oder im Volumen des Elektretmaterials deponiert und/oder elektrische Dipole im Material ausgerichtet. Genaue Informationen ueber die raeumliche Verteilung der elektrischen Ladungen und/oder der Dipolpolarisation sowie deren Entwicklung im Laufe der Zeit sind entscheidend fuer eine gezielte Verbesserung der Elektretstabilitaet. Dielektrika, die zur elektrischen Isolierung von Hochspannungsanlagen eingesetzt werden, koennen ebenfalls elektrische Raumladungen und/oder Dipolpolarisationen enthalten, deren Verteilungen entscheidend fuer die Beherrschung der damit einhergehenden Eigenschaftsaenderungen sind. Traditionell gelten Raumladungen und Dipolpolarisationen in elektrischen Isolierungen als unerwuenscht und schaedlich, da sie zu erheblichen Verlusten und zu Verzerrungen der inneren elektrischen Felder fuehren koennen. Hohe lokale Felder koennen Alterungsprozesse ausloesen und die Lebensdauer der isolierenden Dielektrika erheblich verkuerzen. Mit dem Aufkommen der Hochspannungs-Gleichstromuebertragung und des Hochspannungskondensators zur Energiespeicherung in den letzten Jahren hat sich die Situation jedoch grundlegend geaendert, da Raumladungen prinzipiell nicht mehr vermeidbar sind und bei entsprechender Gestaltung der Isolierung moeglicherweise sogar von Vorteil sein koennen. Hier ergeben sich nun Ueberschneidungen und Synergien zwischen Elektreten und elektrischen Isoliermaterialien, zumal in beiden Faellen hohe elektrische Gleichfelder auftreten. Waehrend quasi-permanent gespeicherte elektrische Ladungen und/oder stark quasi- permanente oder remanente Dipolpolarisationen das wesentliche Merkmal von Elektreten sind, koennen stabil gespeicherte elektrische Ladungen in elektrischen Isolierungen dazu beitragen, den schaedlichen Ladungstransport und damit die effektive elektrische Leitfaehigkeit der Dielektrika zu reduzieren. Ein kontrolliertes Einbringen von Raumladungen kann die Injektion und die Anhaeufung weiterer Ladungen verhindern, waehrend stark Dipolpolarisationen die Kapazitaet von elektrischen Energiespeichern wesentlich erhoehen koennen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden piezoelektrisch erzeugte Druckstufen (Piezoelectrically generated Pressure Steps oder PPSs) eingesetzt, um die Verteilung elektrischer Ladungen und/oder ausgerichteter elektrischer Dipole in relativ duennen polymeren Dielektrika (Mikrometerbereich) zu untersuchen. Wesentliche Probenmaterialien waren Polypropylen (PP), Komposite aus Polyethylen mit Magnesiumoxid-Nanopartikeln in geringen Mengen (LDPE/MgO) sowie Poly(vinyliden fluorid-trifluorethylen)-Copolymere (P(VDF-TrFE)). PP-Folien, die mit Phosphorsaeure oberflaechenbehandelt wurden, um voneinander isolierte Nanostrukturen an der Oberflaeche zu erzeugen, sind ein Beispiel fuer ein zweidimensionales (2-D) Nanokomposit, waehrend LDPE/MgO ein dreidimensionales (3-D) Nanokomposit darstellt. Es konnte nachgewiesen werden, dass die Nanopartikel auf der Oberflaeche von saeurebehandeltem PP und im Volumen von LDPE/MgO-Nanokompositen die Ladungsspeicherfaehigkeit des jeweiligen Materials entscheidend verbessern. Damit werden weitere Ladungsinjektionen und der Ladungstransport verhindert, was die 2-D PP- und die 3-D LDPE/MgO-Nanokomposite zu geeigneten Kandidaten sowohl fuer Elektret- als auch fuer Isolationsanwendungen macht. Bei Polyvinylidenfluorid (PVDF) und Copolymeren auf der Basis von Vinylidenfluorid (VDF) haengt die remanente raeumliche Polarisationsverteilung entscheidend von der jeweiligen Polungsmethode sowie von den Parametern des jeweiligen Polungsvorgangs ab. Hier wurde versucht, eine homogene Polung von P(VDF-TrFE)-Copolymeren mit unterschiedlichen VDF-Gehalten mit dem Verfahren der zyklischen Polung (sogenannte Hysterese-Polung) zu erzeugen. Das Entstehen der remanenten Polarisation und deren raeumliche Verteilung konnten erfasst und interpretiert werden, um Hinweise für eine optimale Polung zu erhalten. An den genannten Beispielen konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Methode der piezoelektrisch erzeugten Druckstufen (PPS) ein leistungsfaehiges Verfahren zur Charakterisierung der Ladungsspeicherung und des Ladungstransports in Dielektrika ist und dass damit ein breites Spektrum von unpolaren Polymeren ueber polare Polymerdielektrika bis hin zu polaren Nanokompositen sinnvoll untersucht werden kann. Es wurden wesentliche Erkenntnisse zur Ladungsspeicherung und zur remanten Polarisation in den untersuchten Polymeren gewonnen. KW - electro-acoustic electric-charge and polarization profiling KW - space charge KW - polypropylene KW - polyethylene nanocomposites KW - magnesium oxide KW - polymer electrets KW - ferroelectrets KW - electrical insulation KW - piezoelectricity KW - ferroelectricity KW - poly(vinylidene fluoride) KW - hysteresis KW - elektroakustische Abtastung elektrischer Ladungen und Dipolpolarisationen KW - elektrische Raumladung KW - Polypropylen KW - Polyethylen-Nanokomposite KW - Magnesiumoxid KW - Polymerelektrete KW - Ferroelektrete KW - elektrische Isolierung KW - Piezoelektrizität KW - Ferroelektrizität KW - Poly(vinylidenfluorid) KW - Hysterese Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-445629 ER -