Optical, Structural, and Dielectric Properties of Composites Based on Thermoplastic Polymers of the Polyolefin and Polyurethane Type and BaTiO3 Nanoparticles

M Baibarac; A Nila; I Smaranda; M Stroe; L Stingescu; M Cristea; R C Cercel; A Lorinczi; P Ganea; I Mercioniu; R Ciobanu; C Schreiner; R G Garcia; C Bartha

doi:10.3390/ma14040753

Optical, Structural, and Dielectric Properties of Composites Based on Thermoplastic Polymers of the Polyolefin and Polyurethane Type and BaTiO₃ Nanoparticles

Materials (Basel). 2021 Feb 5;14(4):753. doi: 10.3390/ma14040753.

Authors

M Baibarac¹, A Nila¹, I Smaranda¹, M Stroe¹, L Stingescu¹, M Cristea¹, R C Cercel¹, A Lorinczi¹, P Ganea¹, I Mercioniu², R Ciobanu^{3

4}, C Schreiner^{3

4}, R G Garcia⁵, C Bartha⁶

Affiliations

¹ National Institute of Materials Physics, Laboratory of Optical Processes in Nanostructured Materials, Atomistilor Street 405A, P.O. Box MG-7, R077125 Bucharest, Romania.
² National Institute of Materials Physics, Atomic Structures and Defects in Advanced Materials Laboratory, Atomistilor street 405A, P.O. Box MG-7, R077125 Bucharest, Romania.
³ SC All Green SRL, 8 George Cosbuc, 700470 Iasi, Romania.
⁴ Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Department of Electrical Measurements and Materials, Technical University Gh. Asachi Iasi, Bd. Professor Dimitrie Mangeron 67, 70050 Iasi, Romania.
⁵ Izertis, Parque Cientifico Tecnologico, Avda. Del Jardin Botanico, 1345 Edificio Intra, 33203 Gijon, Spain.
⁶ National Institute of Materials Physics, Magnetism and Superconductivity Laboratory, Atomistilor street 405A, P.O. Box MG-7, R077125 Bucharest, Romania.

Abstract

In this work, new films containing composite materials based on blends of thermoplastic polymers of the polyurethane (TPU) and polyolefin (TPO) type, in the absence and presence of BaTiO₃ nanoparticles (NPs) with the size smaller 100 nm, were prepared. The vibrational properties of the free films depending on the weight ratio of the two thermoplastic polymers were studied. Our results demonstrate that these films are optically active, with strong, broad, and adjustable photoluminescence by varying the amount of TPU. The crystalline structure of BaTiO₃ and the influence of thermoplastic polymers on the crystallization process of these inorganic NPs were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The vibrational changes induced in the thermoplastic polymer's matrix of the BaTiO₃ NPs were showcased by Raman scattering and FTIR spectroscopy. The incorporation of BaTiO₃ NPs in the matrix of thermoplastic elastomers revealed the shift dependence of the photoluminescence (PL) band depending on the BaTiO₃ NP concentration, which was capable of covering a wide visible spectral range. The dependencies of the dielectric relaxation phenomena with the weight of BaTiO₃ NPs in thermoplastic polymers blends were also demonstrated.

Keywords: BaTiO3; crystallization processes; thermoplastic polymers.

Grants and funding

Manunet 96/2018 - COFUND-ERANET MANUNET III-4DPrintEN/Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation - CCCDI-UEFISCDI