Semicrystalline Organization of VDF- and TrFE-Based Electroactive Terpolymers: Impact of the trans-1,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene Termonomer
Résumé
In the search for fluorinated polymers with new
electroactive properties, the radical polymerization of vinylidene
fluoride (VDF), trifluoroethylene (TrFE), and trans-1,3,3,3-
tetrafluoropropene (1234ze) was achieved. The crystalline
organization and the electroactive properties of semicrystalline
poly(VDF-ter-TrFE-ter-1234ze) terpolymer films with 1234ze
molar contents ranging from 0 to 6%, obtained by solventcasting,
were investigated using a combination of structural,
dielectric, and electromechanical techniques. For 0 mol %
1234ze, poly(VDF-co-TrFE) copolymers exhibited a Curie
transition from the ferroelectric (FE) phase to the paraelectric (PE) phase at the Curie temperature (TC ∼ 95 °C). DSC,
dielectric spectroscopy, and FTIR experiments revealed the preservation of this Curie transition (TC ∼ 75 °C) while increasing
the termonomer content. WAXS measurements confirmed the persistence of the FE phase as the main phase at room
temperature but also showed the appearance of a secondary ZFE phase (expanded FE phase incorporating 1234ze units) in lower
proportion. The WAXS crystallinity was halved (42 to 23%) from 0 to 6 mol % 1234ze terpolymer annealed films. Furthermore,
SAXS and WAXS experiments highlighted a decrease of the crystalline lamellae thickness and a significant modification of the
electronic density distribution upon increase of 1234ze units. A new model for this particular arrangement of crystalline lamellae
was thus proposed with the location of the ZFE phase at the interface between the FE crystalline lamellae and the amorphous
phase. Finally, reduced remnant polarization (Pr ∼ 15 mC/m2) and transverse piezoelectric coefficient (d33 ∼ −5 pC/N),
compared to those of the reference poly(VDF-co-TrFE) copolymer (Pr ∼ 50 mC/m2 and d33 ∼ −20 pC/N), were mainly
assigned to the decrease of the FE phase content in terpolymer poled films.