BACTERIAL CELLULOSE ENHANCES BETA PHASE IN PVDF

摘要

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is a smart material owing to its pyro-, piezo- and ferroelectric properties. For practical application, e.g., as a sensor material however; the non-polar, low-energy, α-phase of PVDF must be transformed into polar β-phase. Bacterial cellulose was used to study its effect on a to β-phase transformation in PVDF. Bacterial cellulose produced from Acetobacter xylinum bacteria was incorporated (0.5, 1 and 2% by weight) into PVDF films using solution casting technique. While ultrasonication provided energy for phase transformation, the filler helped retain the β-phase. The evolution of this phase was confirmed and estimated using FTIR and XRD studies.