Thermally stimulated discharge in polymer electrets: Compatibility and impurity effects

Abstract

Polymer electrets have been prepared and studied by measuring thermally stimulated discharge currents. Two current maxima have been observed for samples of polystyrene, poly(p-chlorostyrene), and a random copolymer of styrene and p-chlorostyrene. These maxima are attributed to dipole reorientation accompanying the glass transition and to real charge drifts. Poly(2,6 dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) and blends of this polymer with the three aforementioned polymers were also studied. In these systems unresolved and nonreproducible peaks were obtained, and these difficulties have been attributed to impurities present.