The evaluation of the effect of metal oxide and ferroelectric ceramic additives on the structural and dielectric properties of epoxy matrix

Abstract

Abstract This study focused on examining and comparing the effects of Bi 2 O 3 , WO 3 , and ferroelectric Bi 2 WO 6 ceramic particles on the frequency‐dependent electrical properties of an epoxy matrix, which is known for its good mechanical strength, easy processability, high oxidation resistance, low dielectric loss, and sealing and adhesive properties. The reinforcing particles as well as the composites were examined by Fourier transform infrared analysis, and electrical measurements were carried out at room temperature with an impedance analyzer in the range 20 Hz to 1 MHz. The energy storage performances of the three composite families were compared by limiting the analysis to the real and imaginary components of the complex dielectric constant ( ε ′ and ε ″), the AC conductivity, and the phase angle. When the ε ′ and ε ″ values of the pure epoxy and the 20% by mass Bi 2 O 3 , WO 3 and Bi 2 WO 6 doped composites were compared it was observed that WO 3 additive causes higher ε ′ values than the other additives in the entire frequency region, ignoring the high dielectric loss. However, when ε ′ and ε ″ were evaluated together, Bi 2 O 3 and Bi 2 WO 6 additives caused lower dielectric loss than WO 3 and higher ε ′ values than pure epoxy which make these additives more advantageous than WO 3 for energy storage applications. In addition to these examinations, frequency‐dependent phase angle evaluation has suggested that 30% Bi 2 O 3 and 20% Bi 2 WO 6 additives can be considered promising for energy storage applications in the high‐frequency region. © 2023 The Authors. Polymer International published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Industrial Chemistry.