Pyroelectric and dielectric properties of dry and moist TGS-gelatin films

TGS-gelatin films have been grown by evaporation of water from a gelatin gel containing a solution of TGS. When this material absorbs water from the atmosphere, it forms a ferroelectric TGS subsystem and a nonferroelectric but highly polarizable dipole subsystem of water absorbed in the intermolecular spaces of gelatin molecules. Moist films have pyroelectric coefficients about four times higher than dried ones. The dielectric properties also change showing the major role played by the orientational polarizability of the water molecules.