Piezoelectricity of single- and multi-layer cellular polypropylene film electrets

Abstract

The piezoelectricity of a pressure-treated cellular polypropylene (PP) (commercially available, trade name PQ50) film electret was studied by the measurement of direct- and inverse-piezoelectric d₃₃ coefficient. The sample expanded with optimal parameters has a quasi-static piezoelectric d₃₃ coefficient of more than 600 pC/N, which is about 40 times as high as that of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). In addition, the hybrid multi-layer system, which properly combines single-layer cellular PP film electrets, shows a quasi-static piezoelectric sensitivity of as high as 2010 pC/N. This is around three times higher than that of well-known lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics. The results are theoretically and technically helpful to promote the application of cellular PP film electrets.