Molecular dynamics and thermal hysteresis loops of the 60/40 vinylidene fluoride–trifluoroethylene ferroelectric copolymer

The molecular nature of thermal hysteresis associated with dynamic phase transitions is investigated in ferroelectric polymers using incoherent neutron scattering. The analysis of the quasielastic neutron spectra indicates that besides the structural component, the thermal hysteresis phenomena has a contribution due to the anharmonicity of the mean-square amplitude of the vibrational motion of the protons attached to the polymeric chain.