Multiple relaxation investigations in polyetherimide: Thermally stimulated depolarization current technique

Abstract

Thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) technique has been used for investigating various dielectric relaxation processes in polyetherimide. The TSD currents in the temperature range 20º-250ºC (in certain cases up to 300ºC) were obtained as functions of polarizing field (Ep; 20-350 kV/cm), polarizing temperature (Tp; 60 º-180ºC), poling time (tp; 0.5-2 h), sample thickness (d; 25-120 µm), heating rate (h; 2º-6ºC/min), and storage time (ts; 0-552 h). The current maxima in the TSDC spectra reveal the presence of two major relaxation processes termed as β- (around 130ºC) and ⍺- (around 190ºC), associated with dipolar relaxation and space-charge relaxation processes, respectively. However, in certain cases, we observe merging of β- and ⍺-relaxation processes to become the ⍺β-relaxation process (140º-180ºC). The observed dependence of the peak temperature Tm on polarizing temperature and poling time indicates a continuous distribution of relaxations. The high Ep/Tp samples also show a relaxation (ρ) around 260ºC associated with charge injection phenomenon. The low temperature region of TSDC spectra (30º-70ºC) shows the presence of a weak relaxation (β′), considered as a satellite of the main dipolar relaxation process. The activation energies for various relaxation processes have been calculated using Bucci plot method.