Processing,Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis,and dielectric properties of barium titanate/cellulosic polymer nanocomposites

High dielectric constant BaTiO₃/ethyl cellulose (BT/EC) nanocomposites having BT loadings of up to 13 vol% were fabricated through a simple casting technique. The BT filler powder, synthesized through an ultrasonic‐assisted solid‐state route, was revealed by X‐ray powder diffractometry (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy to be dominantly tetragonal. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed good dispersion of the BT nanoparticles in the EC polymer matrix at lower BT concentrations. However, at higher concentrations, the BT particles form a continuous phase or a “filler network” leading to weak BT/EC interactions. This finding is well supported by the results of the tensile strength and storage modulus. The dielectric properties of the BT/EC nanocomposites were investigated over wide ranges of frequency and temperature. The addition of BT significantly increased the permittivity (ε ′) and dielectric loss (ε ″) and improved the ionic conductivity of the EC. The electric modulus (M″ ) results were analyzed in terms of the Havriliak–Negami function through three distinct relaxation mechanisms (namely α, β*, and β relaxations) in the temperature range 30–150°C. The dc conductivity (σ _dc) results suggest that the BT/EC nanocomposites formed at low BT loading (up to 7.0 vol%) and a temperature of ≤60°C are good candidates for antistatic applications while those formed at higher concentrations and temperatures are recommended for use in electrostatic dissipation applications. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:893–907, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers