Effects of the electric field and AlCl3_6H2O salt on the crystal, morphology and dielectric properties of P(VDF-HFP) fibres

Abstract

This research aims to prepare the polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene (P(VDF-HFP)) fibres by electrospinning process with different electric fields. The aluminium chloride hexahydrate (AlCl3⋅6H2O) was filled into the fibres to act as a nucleating agent for β phase transformation. The morphology and phase transformation of the neat fibre mats with and without AlCl3⋅6H2O were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results show that the average diameter of fibres decreases with increasing electric field. The diameter of composite fibres becomes smaller compared to that of the pure P(VDF-HFP) fibre. The β phase fraction of fibre mats increases due to the applied electric field and AlCl3⋅6H2O filler. Moreover, an improvement of dielectric constant is found in the composite fibres, suggesting for mechanical sensors.