Dielectric properties and thermal stability of γ-irradiated inorganic nanofiller modified PVC

The dielectric characteristics of polyvinyl chloride nanocomposites containing titania, silica and alumina at the concentration of 5% were investigated by dielectric spectroscopy. The sharp modification in the permittivity and dielectric loss of neat and irradiated PVC samples over the low frequency range may be explained by the interaction between external electrical field and the dipoles formed during high energy exposure. The material characterization is completed by the thermal stability assay based on the accumulation of carbonyl units in the sample matrices, which provides the differences in the molecular level contact between host polymer and fillers. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.