Piezoelectric properties of polymer-piezoelectric ceramic composites crystallized under the action of an electric-discharge plasma

The crystallization of a polymer-piezoelectric ceramic composite under the action of electric-discharge temperature and plasma is shown to cause strong oxidation of polymer chains, which increases the concentration of charge localization centers or the number of local levels in the quasi-bandgap of the polymer phase in the composite. In turn, this oxidation is accompanied by an increase in the interphase charges during electrothermal polarization, which favor effective polarization of piezophase domains and, hence, an increase in the piezoelectric properties. The degree of oxidation of the polymer phase is found to be controlled by the nature of the electric discharges used for composite crystallization. It is experimentally shown that piezoelectric composites should be crystallized under the action of a microdischarge that does not reach the streamer phase of its development. The optimum crystallization conditions are determined.