The dielectric response of polyethylene/polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes composites at various temperatures

Low density polyethylene/polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (LDPE/POSS) composites were fabricated by extrusion. Three types of POSS were investigated: octamethyl-POSS (OmPOSS), octaisobutyl-POSS (OibPOSS), and isooctyl-POSS (IoPOSS). The frequency-temperature-dependent relative complex dielectric permittivity of the samples were characterized by broadband dielectric spectroscopy at various temperatures. The results showed that POSS had little effects on LDPE's dielectric response at ambient temperature. At elevated temperatures, the influence of POSS on LDPE's dielectric response remained small, except for some loss increase in LDPE/1 wt% IoPOSS and LDPE/5 wt% OmPOSS at frequencies below 10 Hz, and for enhanced charge transports (diffusion and conduction) in LDPE/5 wt% IoPOSS.