Effect of gamma irradiation on the electrical and optical properties of PEVA composite membrane embedded with conductive copper fluoroborate glass powder

Abstract

A series of thin films of poly (ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (PEVA) mixed with different amounts of conductive fluoroborate glass powder doped with copper oxide particles (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1, 1.3 and 1.5 wt%) were prepared via a melt-quenching technique. The effect of irradiation dose exposure up to 40 kGy was investigated at room temperature in the air. Meanwhile, the homogeneity of glass powder dispersion on the PEVA matrix was studied based on the crystallinity of the composite sheets and morphology using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) revealed that the homogeneous distribution of CuO nanoparticles through the entire polymer matrix was the main feature of the polymer-reinforced samples. In addition to dielectric properties, frequency and temperature dependencies were studied. Further, the thermal stability of the composite sheets was investigated. Optical studies revealed that the bandgap energy and content of conductive glass decreased with radiation. The conductivity of the composites σ_AC(f) was evaluated according to Jonscher's universal power law. Further, the addition of conductive glass to the PEVA improved the thermal stability of the composites (20 °C to 80 °C), as measured experimentally. The conductive glass additive enhanced the structural, morphological, optical, thermal, and electrical properties of PEVA for industrial applications.