Microwave dielectric properties of polytetrafluoroethylene‐polyacrylate composite films made via aerosol deposition

Few studies have examined the deposition of polytetrafluoroethylene ( PTFE ) using additive manufacturing and their subsequent properties in microwave devices. The present study examines polytetrafluoroethylene‐polyacrylate ( PTFE‐PA ) composite films made via aerosol deposition to assess the potential use of PTFE in additive manufacturing processes. The composites are composed of PTFE‐PA core − shell nanoparticles, synthesized using a seeded emulsion polymerization, containing various PTFE weight fractions up to 50%. The synthesized nanoparticles were sprayed onto a heated glass substrate and subsequently annealed at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of PA and below that of PTFE , rendering a solid film approximately 40 µm thick. A cavity perturbation resonance technique was employed to determine the complex permittivity of the films. As the volume fraction of PTFE increased, the real part of the permittivity ϵ ′ decreased while the imaginary part of the permittivity ϵ ″ showed little variation. The results demonstrate a promising approach for incorporating PTFE into additive manufacturing processes, particularly for microwave devices. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry