There is a need in electronic systems and pulsed power applications for capacitors with high energy density. Current state-of-the-art polymeric capacitors (BOPP, PET) have a maximum energy density of 5-6 J/cm3. The energy density improves with increasing dielectric constant and/or breakdown strength, and the loss is diminished by reducing dissipation factor and polarization hysteresis. Our approach to improve polymer film capacitors is to combine, through microlayer coextrusion, two polymers: one with a high dielectric constant (polyvinylidene fluoride type polymers - PVDF) and one with a high breakdown strength (polycarbonate). Multilayered films with many alternating layers of polymers exhibited improved breakdown characteristics due to the development of a �treeing� type failure mechanism. In addition, a reduction of polarization hysteresis was observed due to layer confinement effects on the solid state ion motion of PVDF layers. These effects yielded capacitive energy densities of 16 J/cm3 while maintaining very low losses.

Dielectric properties of micro and nanolayered PC/PVDF films for capacitor applications

245th National Meeting (2013)

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