(PS-PMMA-ZnO) nanocomposites fabrication and investigation their electrical properties for piezoelectric application

University of Kufa, Al-Najaf, Iraq

^* Corresponding author: ali.alhameedawi@uokufa.edu.iq

Abstract

Nanocomposites have a cheap cost and a low weight, making them an attractive option for a variety of applications, including industrial, environmental, and medical. For use in electrical applications, nanocomposites made of polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, and zinc oxide have been processed to produce piezoelectric materials. Various concentrations of ZnO nanoparticles were mixed into a polymer blend composed of (PS-PMMA), with those concentrations being (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8) weight percent. Nanocomposites were investigated both in terms of their structure and their electrical properties. The direct current electrical conductivity for (PS-PMMA-ZnO) nanocomposites increases with both increase at temperature and increase in ZnO nanoparticles concentration, activation energy decreases where concentration of ZnO nanoparticles increase. When applied electric field frequency increase, A.C electrical characteristics showed that both dielectric constant (ε^') and dielectric loss (ε^'') for (PS-PMMA-ZnO) nanocomposites decreased, whereas alternating current electrical conductivity increased. When increase concentration of ZnO nanoparticles, a (PS-PMMA) polymer blend demonstrates an increase in its ε^', ε^'', and σ_(A.C). The findings from the piezoelectric application that the increase in pressure cause decrease in the electrical resistance for (PS-PMMA-ZnO) nanocomposites.