Open Access Journals

AIMS Materials Science, 2018, 5(5): 845-869. doi: 10.3934/matersci.2018.5.845. Review Topical Section

Export file:

Format

RIS(for EndNote,Reference Manager,ProCite)
BibTex
Text

Content

Citation Only
Citation and Abstract

Piezoelectric cellular polymer films: Fabrication, properties and applications

Ouassim Hamdi, Frej Mighri, Denis Rodrigue

Department of Chemical Engineering, Université Laval, Quebec, G1V0A6, Canada

Received: , Accepted: , Published:

Topical Section: Porous Materials

Abstract Full Text(HTML) Figure/Table Related pages

Piezoelectricity can be defined as the ability of certain materials to provide mechanical–electrical energy conversion. In addition to traditional ferroelectric polymers (such as polyvinylidene fluoride, PVDF) and ceramics (such as lead zirconate titanate, PZT), charged polymer film foams have also shown important piezoelectric activity. In fact, when cellular polymers are exposed to high electrical fields, positive and negative charges are created on the opposite faces of each cell surface. As a result, charged cellular polymers can exhibit ferroelectric-like behavior and may therefore be called ferroelectrets. The piezoelectric effect of these materials is known to be affected by several parameters such as the cellular structure (cell density, shape and size), relative density and elastic stiffness. However, a careful morphology control is mandatory to optimize the piezoelectric response.
Ferroelectrets have recently received a great deal of academic and industrial interest due to their wide range of technological applications associated with high piezoelectric constants, low cost, flexibility and low weight. In this paper, an overview of different piezoelectric cellular polymers is presented with recent developments and applications.

Figure/Table

Supplementary

Article Metrics

Keywords: piezoelectricity; ferroelectrets; cellular polymers; morphological and mechanical properties; piezoelectric coefficient; applications

Citation: Ouassim Hamdi, Frej Mighri, Denis Rodrigue. Piezoelectric cellular polymer films: Fabrication, properties and applications. AIMS Materials Science, 2018, 5(5): 845-869. doi: 10.3934/matersci.2018.5.845

References:

1. Dagdeviren C, Joe P, Tuzman OL, et al. (2016) Recent progress in flexible and stretchable piezoelectric devices for mechanical energy harvesting, sensing and actuation. Extreme Mech Lett 9: 269–281.
2. Mohebbi A, Mighri F, Ajji A, et al. (2018) Cellular polymer ferroelectret: A review on their development and their piezoelectric properties. Adv Polym Tech 37: 468–483.
3. Harrison JS, Ounaies Z (2002) Piezoelectric polymers, In: Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Technology, 474–498.
4. Mohebbi A, Mighri F, Ajji A, et al. (2015) Current issues and challenges in polypropylene foaming: A review. Cell Polym 34: 299–337.
5. Hamdi O, Mighri F, Rodrigue D (2018) Optimization of the cellular morphology of biaxially stretched thin polyethylene foams produced by extrusion film blowing. Cell Polym [In press].
6. Zhai W, Wang H, Yu J, et al. (2008) Cell coalescence suppressed by crosslinking structure in polypropylene microcellular foaming. Polym Eng Sci 48: 1312–1321.
7. Rachtanapun P, Selke SEM, Matuana LM (2004) Effect of the high‐density polyethylene melt index on the microcellular foaming of high‐density polyethylene/polypropylene blends. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 364–371.
8. Rachtanapun P, Selke SEM, Matuana LM (2004) Relationship between cell morphology and impact strength of microcellular foamed high‐density polyethylene/polypropylene blends. Polym Eng Sci 44: 1551–1560.
9. Huang HX (2005) HDPE/PA-6 blends: Influence of screw shear intensity and HDPE melt viscosity on phase morphology development. J Mater Sci 40: 1777–1779.
10. Huang HX, Jiang G, Mao SQ (2005) Effect of flow fields on morphology of PP/Nano/CaCO₃ composite and its rheological behavior. ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition,Orlando, Florida, USA, 80830: 567–574.
11. Huang HX, Wang JK, Sun XH (2008) Improving of cell structure of microcellular foams based on polypropylene/high-density polyethylene blends. J Cell Plast 44: 69–85.
12. Ding J, Shangguan J, Ma W, et al. (2013) Foaming behavior of microcellular foam polypropylene/modified nano calcium carbonate composites. J Appl Polym Sci 128: 3639–3651.
13. Wang C, Ying S, Xiao Z (2013) Preparation of short carbon fiber/polypropylene fine-celled foams in supercritical CO₂. J Cell Plast 49: 65–82.
14. Zheng WG, Lee YH, Park CB (2010) Use of nanoparticles for improving the foaming behaviors of linear PP. J Appl Polym Sci 117: 2972–2979.
15. Mohebbi A, Mighri F, Ajji A, et al. (2017) Effect of processing conditions on the cellular morphology of polypropylene foamed films for piezoelectric applications. Cell Polym 36: 13–34.
16. Audet E (2015) Films cellulaires en polypropylène chargé de talc et de carbonate de calcium utilisés comme matériaux piézoélectriques: optimisation de la structure cellulaire par étirage bi-axial et par gonflement sous atmosphère d'azote [Thesis]. Laval University.
17. Wegener M, Wirges W, Fohlmeister J, et al. (2004) Two-step inflation of cellular polypropylene films: void-thickness increase and enhanced electromechanical properties. J Phys D Appl Phys 37: 623–627.
18. Sborikas M, Wegener M (2013) Cellular-foam polypropylene ferroelectrets with increased film thickness and reduced resonance frequency. Appl Phys Lett 103: 252901.
19. Qiu X, Xia Z, Wang F (2007) Piezoelectricity of single-and multi-layer cellular polypropylene film electrets. Front Mater Sci China 1: 72–75.
20. Rychkova D, Altafim RAP, Qiu X, et al. (2012) Treatment with orthophosphoric acid enhances the thermal stability of the piezoelectricity in low-density polyethylene ferroelectrets. J Appl Phys 111: 124105.
21. An Z, Zhao M, Yao J, et al. (2009) Improved piezoelectric properties of cellular polypropylene ferroelectrets by chemical modification. Appl Phys A-Mater 95: 801–806.
22. Padasalkar GG, Shaikh JM, Syed YD, et al. (2015) A Review on Piezoelectricity. IJAREEIE 4: 8231–8235.
23. Pandey A, Shukla S, Shukla V (2015) Innovation and application of piezoelectric materials: a theoretical approach. IJATES 3: 1413–1417.
24. Li W, Torres D, Diaz R, et al. (2017) Nanogenerator-based dual-functional and self-powered thin patch loudspeaker or microphone for flexible electronics. Nat Commun 8: 15310.
25. Curie J, Curie P (1880) Development by pressure of polar electricity in hemihedral crystals with inclined faces. Bull Soc Min de France 3: 90–93.
26. Defay E (2013) Dielectricity, Piezoelectricity, Pyroelectricity and Ferroelectricity, In: Defay E, Integration of Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Thin Films: Concepts and Applications for Microsystems, Great Britain and United States: ISTE Ltd and John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1–24.
27. Setter N, Damjanovic D, Eng L, et al. (2006) Ferroelectric thin films: Review of materials, properties, and applications. J Appl Phys 100: 051606.
28. Abraham CS (2011) A review of ferroelectric materials and their applications. Ferroelectrics 138: 307–309.
29. Graz I, Mellinger A (2016) Polymer Electrets and Ferroelectrets as EAPs: Fundamentals, In: Carpi F, Electromechanically Active Polymers. Polymers and Polymeric Composites: A Reference Series, Springer, Cham.
30. Kirjavainen K (1987) Electromechanical film and procedure for manufacturing same. U.S. Patent, No: 4654546.
31. Savolainen A, Kirjavainen K (1989) Electrothermomechanical film. Part I. Design and characteristics. J Macromol Sci A 26: 583–591.
32. Rychkov D, Altafim RAP (2016) Polymer Electrets and Ferroelectrets as EAPs: Models, In: Carpi F, Electromechanically Active Polymers. Polymers and Polymeric Composites: A Reference Series, Springer, Cham.
33. Hillenbrand J, Sessler G, Zhang X (2005) Verification of a model for the piezoelectric d₃₃ coefficient of cellular electret films. J Appl Phys 98: 0641051.
34. Sessler GM, Hillenbrand J (1999) Electromechanical response of cellular electrets films. Appl Phys Lett 75: 3405–3407.
35. Zhanh H (2010) Scale-up of extrusion foaming process for manufacture of polystyrene foams using carbon dioxide [Thesis]. University of Toronto.
36. Wegener M (2010) Piezoelectric polymer foams: transducer mechanism and preparation as well as touch-sensor and ultrasonic-transducer properties. Proceedings Volume 7644, Behavior and Mechanics of Multifunctional Materials and Composites, 76441A.
37. Hossieny N (2010) Morphology and properties of polymer/carbon nanotube nanocomposite foams prepared by super critical carbon dioxide [Thesis]. The Florida State University.
38. Nawaby AV, Zhang ZY (2004) Solubility and Diffusivity, In: Gendron R, Thermoplastic Foam Processing: Principles and Development. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1–42.
39. Kumar V, Suh NP (1990) A Process for Making Microcellular Thermoplastic Parts. Polym Eng Sci 30: 1323–1329.
40. Kumar V, Weller JE, Montecillo R (1992) Microcellular PVC. J Vinyl Technol 14: 191–197.
41. Schirmer HG, Kumar V (2003) Novel reduced-density materials by solid-state extrusion: Proof-of-concept experiments. Cell Polym 23: 369–385.
42. Park CB, Cheung LK (1997) A study of cell nucleation in the extrusion of polypropylene foams. Polym Eng Sci 37: 1–10.
43. Park CB, Suh NP (1996) Filamentary extrusion of microcellular polymers using a rapid decompressive element. Polym Eng Sci 36: 34–48.
44. Chen L, Rende D, Schadler LS, et al. (2013) Polymer nanocomposite foams. J Mater Chem A 1: 3837–3850.
45. Colton JS, Suh NP (1986) The nucleation of microcellular thermoplastic foam: process model and experimental results. Adv Manuf Process 1: 341–364.
46. Colton JS, Suh NP (1987) The nucleation of microcellular thermoplastic foam with additives: Part I: Theoretical considerations. Polym Eng Sci 27: 485–492.
47. Colton JS, Suh NP (1987) The nucleation of microcellular thermoplastic foam with additives: Part II: Experimental results and discussions. Polym Eng Sci 27: 493–499.
48. Bae SS (2005) Preparation of polypropylene foams with micro/nanocellular morphology using a Sorbitol-based nucleating agent [Thesis]. University of Toronto.
49. Liu F (1998) Processing of polyethylene and polypropylene foams in rotational molding [Thesis]. University of Toronto.
50. Shi J (2017) Ferro-electrets material in human body energy harvesting [Thesis]. University of Southampton.
51. Gerhard-Multhaupt R (2002) Less can be more. Holes in polymers lead to a new paradigm of piezoelectric materials for electret transducers. IEEE T Dielect El In 9: 850–859.
52. Bauer S, Gerhard-Multhaupt R, Sessler GM (2004) Ferroelectrets: Soft electroactive foams for transducers. Phys Today 57: 37–43.
53. Ramadan KS, Sameoto D, Evoy S (2014) A review of piezoelectric polymers as functional materials for electromechanical transducers. Smart Mater Struct 23: 1–26.
54. Qiu X, Gerhard R, Mellinger A (2011) Turning polymer foams or polymer-film systems into ferroelectrets: dielectric barrier discharges in voids. IEEE T Dielect El In 18: 34–42.
55. Qiu X, Mellinger A, Wegener M, et al. (2007) Barrier discharges in cellular polypropylene ferroelectrets: How do they influence the electromechanical properties. J Appl Phys 101: 104112.
56. Qiu X, Mellinger A, Gerhard R (2008) Influence of gas pressure in the voids during charging on the piezoelectricity of ferroelectrets. Appl Phys Lett 92: 052901.
57. Montanari GC, Mazzanti G, Ciani F, et al. (2004) Effect of gas expansion on charging behavior of quasi-piezoelectric cellular PP. The 17th Annual Meeting of the IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society, 153–157.
58. Zhang P, Xia Z, Qiu X, et al. (2005) Influence of charging parameters on piezoelectricity for cellular polypropylene film electrets. 12th International Symposium on Electrets, 39–42.
59. Koliatene F (2009) Contribution à l'étude de l'existence des décharges dans les systèmes de l'avionique 'Contribution to the study of the existence of discharges in avionics systems' [Thesis]. Toulouse University.
60. Wegener M, Tuncer E, Gerhard-Multhaupt R, et al. (2006) Elastic properties and electromechanical coupling factor of inflated polypropylene ferroelectrets. 2006 IEEE Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena, 752–755.
61. Tuncer E, Wegener M (2006) Soft polymeric composites for electro-mechanical applications: predicting and designing their properties by numerical simulations, In: Dillon KI, Soft Condensed Matter: New Research, Nova Science publishers, 217–275.
62. Gibson LJ, Ashby M (1997) Cellular Solids: structure and properties, In: Solid state science, Cambridge University Press.
63. Lindner M, Hoislbauer H, Schwodiaue R, et al. (2004) Charged cellular polymers with ferroelectretic behavior. IEEE T Dielect El In 11: 255–263.
64. Xu BX, von Seggern H, Zhukov S, et al. (2013) Continuum modeling of charging process and piezoelectricity of ferroelectrets. J Appl Phys 114: 094103.
65. Torquato S (2001) Random Heterogeneous Materials: Microstructure and macroscopic properties, New York: Springer Science & Business Media.
66. Tuncer E (2005) Numerical calculations of effective elastic properties of two cellular structures. J Phys D Appl Phys 38: 497–503.
67. Qui X (2016) Polymer Electrets and Ferroelectrets as EAPs: Materials, In: Carpi F, Electromechanically Active Polymers. Polymers and Polymeric Composites: A Reference Series, Springer, Cham.
68. Thyssen A, Almdal K, Thomsen EV (2015) Electret Stability Related to the Crystallinity in Polypropylene. 2015 IEEE Sensors, 1–4.
69. Fang P (2010) Preparation and Investigation of Polymer-Foam Films and Polymer-Layer Systems for Ferroelectrets [Thesis]. University of Potsdam.
70. Mellinger A, Wegener W, Wirges W, et al. (2006) Thermal and Temporal Stability of Ferroelectret Films Made from Cellular Polypropylene/Air Composites. Ferroelectrics 331: 189–199.
71. Nakayama M, Uenaka Y, Kataoka S, et al. (2009) Piezoelectricity of ferroelectret porous polyethylene thin film. Jpn J Appl Phys 48: 09KE05.
72. Tajitsu Y (2011) Piezoelectric properties of ferroelectret. Ferroelectrics 415: 57–66.
73. Brañaa GO, Segoviab PL, Magranera F, et al. (2011) Influence of corona charging in cellular polyethylene film. J Phys Conf Ser 301: 012054.
74. Mellinger A, Wegener M, Wirges W, et al. (2011) Thermally stable dynamic piezoelectricity in sandwich films of porous and nonporous amorphous fluoropolymer. Appl Phys Lett 79: 1851–1854.
75. Altafim RAP, Qiu X, Wirges W, et al. (2009) Template-based fluoroethylenepropylene piezoelectrets with tubular channels for transducer applications. J Appl Phys 106: 014106.
76. Wirges W, Wegener M, Voronina O, et al. (2007) Optimized preparation of elastically soft, highly piezoelectric cellular ferroelectrets from nonvoided poly(ethylene terephthalate) films. Adv Funct Mater 17: 324–329.
77. Wegener M, Wirges W, Dietrich JP, et al. (2005) Polyethylene terephthalate (PETP) foams as ferroelectrets. 12th International Symposium on Electrets, 28–30.
78. Fang P, Wegener M, Wirges W, et al. (2007) Cellular polyethylene-naphthalate ferroelectrets: foaming in supercritical carbon dioxide, structural and electrical preparation, and resulting piezoelectricity. Appl Phys Lett 90: 192908.
79. Fang P, Wirges W, Wegener M, et al. (2008) Cellular polyethylene-naphthalate films for ferroelectret applications: foaming, inflation and stretching, assessment of electromechanically relevant structural features. E-Polymers 8: 487–495.
80. Fang P, Qiu X, Wirges W, et al. (2010) Polyethylene-naphthalate (PEN) ferroelectrets: cellular structure, piezoelectricity and thermal stability. IEEE T Dielect El In 17: 1079–1087.
81. Li Y, Zeng C (2013) Low-temperature CO₂-assisted assembly of cyclic olefin copolymer ferroelectrets of high piezoelectricity and thermal stability. Macromol Chem Phys 214: 2733–2738.
82. Information of the company Xonano smart foam (USA). Available from: http://www.xonano.com/.
83. Dobkin BH, Dorsch A (2011) The promise of mHealth: Daily activity monitoring and outcome assessments by wearable sensors. Neurorehab Neural Re 25: 788–798.
84. Patel S, Park H, Bonato P, et al. (2012) A review of wearable sensors and systems with application in rehabilitation. J Neuroeng Rehabil 9: 1–17.
85. Li X, Fisher M, Rymer WZ, et al. (2015) Application of the F-response for estimating motor unit number and amplitude distribution in hand muscles of stroke survivors. IEEE T Neur Sys Reh 24: 674–681.
86. Jarrasse N, Nicol C, Touillet A, et al. (2017) Classification of phantom finger, hand, wrist, and elbow voluntary gestures in transhumeral amputees with sEMG. IEEE T Neur Sys Reh 25: 71–80.
87. Fang P, Ma X, Li X, et al. (2018) Fabrication, structure characterization, and performance testing of piezoelectret-film sensors for recording body motion. IEEE Sens J 18: 401–412.
88. Information of the company Emfit (Finland). Available from: https://www.emfit.com/.
89. Wegener M, Wirges W (2004) Optimized electromechanical properties and applications of cellular polypropylene-a new voided space-charge electret material, In: Fecht HJ, Werner M, The nano-micro interface: Bridging the micro and nano worlds, Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 303–317.
90. Kim JY (2013) Parylene C as a new piezoelectric material [Thesis]. California Institute of Technology.
91. Saarimaki E, Paajanen M, Savijarvi A, et al. (2006) Novel heat durable electromechanical film: processing for electromechanical and electret applications. IEEE T Dielect El In 13: 963–972.
92. Doring J, Bovtun V, Bartusch J, et al. (2010) Nonlinear electromechanical response of the ferroelectret ultrasonic transducers. Appl Phys A-Mater 100: 479–485.
93. Lei W (2017) Ferroelectret nanogenerator (FENG) for mechanical energy harvesting and self-powered flexible electronics [Thesis]. Michigan State University.
94. Information of the company B-Band (Finland). Available from: http://www.b-band.com/.
95. Kogler A, Buchberger G, Schwodiauer R, et al. (2011) Ferroelectret based Flexible Keyboards and Tactile Sensors. 14th International Symposium on Electrets, 201–202.
96. Hillenbrand J, Kodejska M, Garcin Y, et al. (2010) High sensitivity piezoelectret film accelerometers. IEEE T Dielect El In 17: 1021–1027.
97. Hillenbrand J, Haberzettl S, Motz T, et al. (2011) Electret accelerometers: physics and dynamic characterization. J Acoust Soc Am 129: 3682–3687.
98. Information of 2020 armor products (USA). Available from: http://www.2020armor.com/.
99. Zhuo Q, Tian L, Fang P, et al. (2015) A piezoelectric-based approach for touching and slipping detection in robotic hands. 2015 IEEE International Conference on Cyber Technology in Automation, Control, and Intelligent Systems (CYBER), 918–921.
100. Ning C, Zhou Z, Tan G, et al. (2018) Electroactive polymers for tissue regeneration: Developments and perspectives. Prog Polym Sci 81: 144–162.
101. Wan YP, Zhong Z (2012) Effective electromechanical properties of cellular piezoelectret: A review. Acta Mech Sinica 28: 951–959.

show all references

This article has been cited by:

1. Ouassim Hamdi, Frej Mighri, Denis Rodrigue, Time and thermal stability improvement of polyethylene ferroelectrets, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2019, 47646, 10.1002/app.47646
2. Halina Kaczmarek, Bogusław Królikowski, Marta Chylińska, Ewa Klimiec, Dagmara Bajer, Piezoelectric Films Based on Polyethylene Modified by Aluminosilicate Filler, Polymers, 2019, 11, 8, 1345, 10.3390/polym11081345

Reader Comments

your name: * your email: *

Download full text in PDF

Associated material

Metrics