Stability of the electroactive response of β-poly(vinylidene fluoride) for applications in the petrochemical industry

The stability of the electroactive response of poly(vinylidene fluoride), PVDF, in its beta-phase to degradation by chemicals commonly used in the petrochemical industry has been investigated. The polymer was submitted to the effect of different chemicals, benzene, ethanol, methanol, ethyl benzene, isooctane, naphthalene and toluene, for different periods of time. The variations in the amount of beta crystalline phase, dielectric and piezoelectric response were monitored over time. The results show that PVDF has very good resistance against the chemical attack of the aforementioned chemicals and no significant changes were detected both at a molecular level and in the electro active response. It can be concluded that PVDF shows high stability towards chemicals typically present in the petrochemical industry and can be used for a variety of applications, including sensors and actuators, without interference with its performance. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.