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Anomalous electrical transport properties of PVA–Ag composite films below room temperature
Author(s) -
Ghosh Pankaj,
Ghatak Somenath,
Mandal Mrinal K.,
Meikap Ajit Kumar
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
polymer composites
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.577
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1548-0569
pISSN - 0272-8397
DOI - 10.1002/pc.22334
Subject(s) - materials science , composite material , grain boundary , dielectric , variable range hopping , atmospheric temperature range , composite number , conductivity , condensed matter physics , electrical resistivity and conductivity , percolation (cognitive psychology) , direct current , thermal conduction , electrical engineering , microstructure , voltage , thermodynamics , physics , chemistry , optoelectronics , neuroscience , biology , engineering
The direct current (dc) and alternate current (ac) electrical transport property of polyvinyl alcohol–silver (PVA–Ag) composites has been investigated within a temperature range of 77 ≤ T ≤ 300 K and in the frequency range of 20 Hz to 1 MHz in the presence as well as in the absence of a transverse magnetic field up to 1 T. The dc conductivity follows variable range hopping model. The magnetoconductivity of the samples undergoes a change from negative to positive values with the incorporation of Ag in PVA matrix, which can be interpreted by the dominancy of the forward interference effect prevailing over the wave function shrinkage effect. The ac conductivity follows a power law of frequency, whereas the temperature dependence of frequency exponent “ s ” can be explained by correlated barrier hopping model. The dielectric behavior of the samples has been governed by the grain and interfacial grain boundary resistance and capacitance. Two activation behaviors are observed from the analysis of grain and interfacial grain boundary contributions. POLYM. COMPOS., 33:1941–1950, 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers