Structural Investigations of Polyvinyliden Fluoride Thin and Thick Films

Abstract

Polyvinyliden fluoride (PVDF) is a low-density fluoropolymer that exhibits piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties. It can be used in the chemical, semiconductor, medical and defense industries, as well as in aviation and aerospace applications. Crucial factors that lead to the PVDF ferroelectric properties and determine its piezoelectric, mechanical, optical, electrical and thermal properties are its polar conformations, crystal structure, and crystallinity. These characteristics of the material significantly depend on the conditions used in the processing of polymer films. Therefore, we investigated structure and morphology of thin and thick PVDF films obtained by spin coating and solution casting methods, respectively. Structural investigations of PVDF thin and thick films were performed by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) methods, while microstructure morphology has been analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Present results will enable optimization of PVDF processing techniques for the production of pressure and IR sensors.