Depolarization Currents in Fresh and Aged Corona Poled P(VDF-TFE) Films

Using short circuit and open circuit modifications of the thermally stimulated depolarization current technique, relaxation currents have been measured in corona poled copolymer of vinylidene fluoride with tetrafluoroethylene in samples stored after poling for either 1 day, or 16 month. Two well structured peaks observed in aged samples were attributed to relaxation of electret and ferroelectric components of the remnant polarization. In fresh samples the two components were mixed forming one broad peak. Relaxation of the space charge caused inversion of the current in the open circuit mode both in fresh and in aged samples. Space charge peaks extracted from the total current by appropriate calculations have shown that the trapped charges were more stable than the polarization. It was suggested that both the electret and the ferroelectric components of the remnant polarization were accompanied by either space, or surface charges.