Abstract

Development of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) films and its quasi-static and dynamic strain response

Author(s): Anjana Jain, Jayanth S.Kumar, Roy D.Mahapatra, Vivek T.Rathod

Thin films of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) P(VDF-TrFE)were prepared using solvent cast method and characterized for structural, mechanical and surface morphological properties to investigate the presence of -phase through X-ray diffraction, scanning electronmicroscopy, differential scanning calorimeter, Raman and Infrared spectra, and tensile testing. The conditions to achieve -phase of P(VDF-TrFE) have been discussed in detail. Following the material characterization, the fabricated - phase P(VDF-TrFE) sensors have been tested for dynamic strain sensing application. Time response from the -phase P(VDF-TrFE) sensor due to the free vibration and impact on beam structure is obtained and is compared with -phase PVDF sensor and conventional piezoelectric wafer type sensor. The variations in the frequency response spectra due to free vibration and impact loading conditions are also reported, which reveal the fact that the sensitivity of the -phase P(VDF-TrFE) sensor to variousmodes of vibration is same as the -phase PVDF sensor. The resonant and antiresonant peaks in the frequency response of -phase P(VDF-TrFE) films match well with that of -phase PVDF sensor and Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) wafer sensors. Thus the fabricated -phase P(VDF-TrFE) sensors can be effectively used as the dynamic strain sensor.