Electrorheology and characterization of acrylic rubber and lead titanate composite materials

Oxide one-pot synthesis was used to synthesize a polymer precursor to lead titanate, PbTiO3. Perovskite lead titanate, PbTiO3, was synthesized via the sol-gel process. The dielectric constant, electrical conductivity and loss tangent of our acrylic rubber (AR71)-lead titanate (PT) composite material (AR/PT_8) were 14.15, 2.62 x 10(-7)/Omega m, and 0.093, respectively, measured at 27 degrees C and 1000 Hz. SEM micrographs of composites between the AR71 elastomer and PbTiO3 showed that the particles were reinforced within the matrix. The electrorheological properties of the AR71 /PT composites were investigated as functions of electric field strength from 0 to 2 kV/mm and PbTiO3 particle volume fraction. The storage modulus increased linearly with particle volume fraction, with or without an electricfield. Without an electricfield, the particles merely acted as a filler to absorb or store additional stress. With the electric field on, particle-induced dipole moments were generated, leading to interparticle interactions, and thus a substantial increase in storage modulus. With PbTiO3 particle volume fractions as small as 10(-4) embedded in the elastomer matrix, the modulus increased by nearly a factor of 2 as the electric field strength varied from 0 to 2 kV/mm. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.