Preparation and characterization of low dielectric constant soft polymer blends for engineering applications

Abstract

The preparation of polyvinyl chloride (PVC)/cellulose acetate (CA) blends has been performed by solution casting. The structural, morphology, thermal, dielectric properties and softness have been tested as a function of the weight fraction of the CA. The decrease in inter-planar distance has been confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy. The decrease in direct band gap has been influenced by CA composition demonstrated by ultraviolet-visible (UV) spectroscopy technique. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrates the micro porous nature of blends. Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) confirms the increase in thermal stability of the miscible blends. The real dielectric polarization (ɛ_r) has been measured as a function of frequency. The low dielectric loss tangent (tanδ) in PVC/CA blends has been observed based on the principle of restricted polarizibility. The shore ‘A’ durometer test enables to confirm the softness of miscible blends. Optimized low dielectric constant and softness properties would be suggested for various electrical and electronic engineering applications.