Dielectric behavior of alternating ethylene, propylene, and carbon monoxide co- and terpolymers via impedance spectroscopy

Dielectric behavior of alternating ethylene–carbon monoxide (ECO) and ethylene–carbon monoxide/propylene–carbon monoxide elastic terpolymer (EPEC‐48) (48% mole ratio of ECO) have been investigated by impedance spectroscopy. At intermediate frequencies, the co‐ and terpolymer samples display a relaxation peak with an activation energy of 1.40 and 1.12 eV, respectively, due to a rotational motion of the carbonyl groups in the relatively more polar ECO block. However, at low frequency, a relaxation peak was observed only in the EPEC‐48 terpolymer impedance and admittance spectra due to the rotational motion of the polar groups of propylene–carbon monoxide (PCO) block which is attached to ECO repeating units. In addition, it has been found that below 100°C the ECO material is highly resistive, and both dielectric constant and loss factor are dependent on frequency and temperature. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012