Fabrication of fibrous BaTiO3-reinforced PVDF composite sheet for transducer application

Fibrous BaTiO3-reinforced polyvinylidene fluoride, BaTiO3/PVDF=30/70 (v/v%), composite sheets were fabricated, and their electric-field-induced strain curves and an energy harvesting output based on longitudinal stretch movement were measured. The mixture solution of BaTiO3 filler and PVDF was drawn on a glass substrate to form composite sheets, then the stacked sheets were thermally pressed and extended toward an uniaxial direction to form a piezoelectric beta phase of PVDF by a hot rolling technique. The measured electric-field-induced strain in the 31 direction was enhanced in the sheet having a highly orientation ratio (83%) of fibrous BaTiO3 filler, which was more obvious than the case of the reference specimens using spherical BaTiO3 powders. The electricity energy output from the PVDF sheets increases by increasing the frequency. A highest energy output of 0.63 J/m(3) per unit cycle, that was 26% higher value than pure PVDF sheet, was achieved at the frequency of 100 Hz for the sheet having such highly BaTiO3 orientation ratio. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.