Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics, Vol.32, No.8, 1449-1455, 1994
Double Ferroelectric-to-Paraelectric Transition in 70/30 Vinylidene Fluoride-Trifluoro Ethylene Copolymer as Revealed by Dielectric-Spectroscopy
The variation of dielectric properties with temperature in the 1 kHz to 1 GHz frequency range for the 70/30 copolymer of vinylidene fluoride with trifluoroethylene has been associated to two processes : the beta relaxation process associated with the glass transition of the amorphous phase and the ferroelectric-to-paraelectric crystal transition. The beta process follows a Vogel-Fulcher behavior exhibiting an anomaly in the vicinity of the crystal transition. Analysis of the ferroelectric-to-paraelectric Curie transition reveals the existence of a double relaxation maximum in the dielectric losses. Results have been interpreted in terms of the Havriliak-Negami relaxation function. The variation of the relaxation strength and of the broadening parameter has been investigated as a function of temperature. The obtained results are discussed in terms of a two-step phase transformation mechanism for the Curie transition : a first transition from the low temperature "all-trans" ferroelectric phase to a more defective phase; a second transition from the latter phase to the final paraelectric structure.