Conduction characterization of polymer films using the alternate square wave method

The alternate square wave method already used to measure the resistivity of insulating liquids was modified for application to insulating solids. An experimental instrument was developed and conduction measurements on different polymers were performed. The measurements evidence the high sensitivity of the method and the remarkable reproducibility of the results. It is proposed to characterize the conduction of polymers by using the alternate square wave current-time curve in its whole rather than the generally used steady state current under constant voltage.