High dielectric VDF/TrFE/CTFE terpolymers prepared by hydrogenation of VDF/CTFE copolymers: Synthesis and characterization

An innovative chemical route involving vinyledene difluoride (VDF)/ chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE) copolymerization and partial hydrogenation of CTFE units to prepare VDF/trifluoroethylene (TrFE)/CTFE terpolymers was investigated. The new chemical route involved two reaction steps that include copolymerization of VDF/CTFE and partial hydrogenation of CTFE units. It was observed that the terpolymers exhibit common ferroelectric relaxor behaviors with a broad dielectric peak that shifts toward higher temperatures as the frequency increases. The microstructure of this terpolymer with a head-to-head VDF-TrFE sequence was found to be very different from that of a head-to-tail VDF-TrFE sequence in the corresponding terpolymer prepared by direct terpolymerization. It was found that the dielectric constant and Curie temperature vs terpolymer composition were very different.