Composition-dependent structural and dielectric characteristics of PMMA/PVDF-HFP polymer blends for solid-state devices

This paper presents the preparation of PMMA, PVDF-HFP, and their polymer blends using solution casting technique. We examined the films we created using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDAX), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Impedance Spectroscopy. SEM images revealed that pure PMMA exhibited a smooth morphology, PVDF-HFP displayed granular porosity, and blends with increased PVDF-HFP content demonstrated enhanced porosity. EDAX showed that the elements in the blends were evenly spread out, which meant that they were mixed well and did not separate into different phases. The DSC study demonstrated that the incorporation of additional PVDF-HFP alters the thermal behavior of the blends by inhibiting the formation of PVDF-HFP crystals. The 16.67 wt% PVDF-HFP composition exhibits reduced crystallinity and increased amorphous content , as evidenced by the disappearance of the melting peak in the DSC thermogram. The blends had much better conductivity, according to electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The 100:20 (PMMA: PVDF-HFP) composition had a high of 3.62 × 10⁻ 7 S/cm. This improvement is because the polar PMMA and piezoelectric PVDF-HFP work together better, the structure is better arranged, and the segments can move around more easily. The optimized 16.67 wt% PVDF-HFP composition has different thermal transitions, measurable polymer conductivity, and improved dielectric properties, which shows that its structure–property characteristics depend on its composition.