On the electrical and dielectric properties of Nylon 11

The electrical and dielectric properties of ferroelectric Nylon 11 have been studied using alternating current (AC), thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC), direct current (DC) for a triangular signal with a very low period, and isothermal discharging current measurements. Measurements were carried out in a broad temperature range from -170 to 200/spl deg/C. The primary /spl alpha/ relaxation associated with the glass transition and two secondary relaxations were observed. In order to analyze the influence of water on the relaxation spectrum, the AC measurements have been carried out on dry, normal and humid samples, in the frequency range from 10 MHz to 1 MHz. Water increases the strength of secondary /spl beta/ relaxation and shifts the peaks to lower temperatures/higher frequencies. The agreement between the electrical conductivity of the material determined from DC and AC measurements is good and the activation energy of the conductivity is 1.4 eV.