Dielectric properties of multiwalled carbon nanotube/clay/polyvinylidene fluoride nanocomposites: Effect of clay incorporation

This study investigates the effect of clay addition on the broadband dielectric properties of multi‐walled carbon nanotube/polyvinylidene fluoride (MWCNT/PVDF) composites, that is, frequency range of 101−106 Hz. Different loadings of MWCNT and clay were used for the preparation of three‐phase (MWCNT/Clay/PVDF) nanocomposites via melt‐mixing method. The crystalline structure and morphology of nanocomposites were examined by employing characterization techniques such as X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. The dielectric spectroscopy showed that introducing clay into the MWCNT/PVDF nanocomposites at a critical MWCNT concentration improved dielectric properties tremendously. It was interestingly observed that the incorporation of a specific amount of clay, that is, 1.0 wt%, into the (MWCNT/PVDF) nanocomposite at a critical MWCNT loading, that is, 0.5 wt% MWCNT, resulted in a huge increase in the dielectric permittivity (670% at 100 Hz) and a considerable reduction in the dissipation factor (68% at 100 Hz). POLYM. COMPOS., 161–167, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers