Pyroelectric effect poly vinylidene

A major advance was made in 1969 when a strong piezoelectric effect was discovered in poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF). The effect is much greater than for other polymers. In 1971, the pyroelectric properties of PVDF were also first reported, and as a consequence, considerable research and development has continued during the last two decades. 

Poly(vinylidene fluoride)(PVDF) is one of the most polar polymers among synthetic polymers and shows the most unique phenomena in many fields of pol3nner science. Especially, the electrical properties of PVDF have been the subject of intensive investigations in recent years since it was reported that it could exhibit a large dielectric constant and internal polarization for its B-form films, a very large piezoelectric and pyroelectric effects for polarized monoaxially and biaxially stretched films.[1,2,3]... 

It was found that in several polymers, such as stretched and poled poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and its copolymer, poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)), a strong polarization effect is observed under influence on mechanical stress and temperature. This means that piezoelectric and pyroelectric gas sensors can also be designed based on polymers (see Chap. 13 [Vol. 1]). 

This area does not address the wide variety of devices that feature ferroelectric polymers as detectors based on their inherent pyroelectric effect. Instead, the focus of this chapter is to present recent (within the last decade) poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) transducer applications that feature their fenoelectiic effect as the preferred active material property. 

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