Characterization, electrical and magnetic properties of PVDF films filled with FeCl3 and MnCl2 mixed fillers

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/(x)FeCl3(20-x)MnCl2 films, where x = 0.0%, 1%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 19%, and 20%, were prepared by the casting technique. Their thermal and crystalline structure, electric and magnetic properties, and ESR were examined. For thermal measurements, with increasing FeCl3 content, the melting temperature rarely changed while the thermal degradation temperature decreased. X-ray diffraction and infrared analysis show that the crystalline structure of PVDF changed drastically on addition of FeCl3, indicating that there are interactions between the PVDF matrix and FeCl3 and MnCl2. The optical and electrical measurements revealed a nearly monotonic behavior of optical gap and electrical resistivity as FeCl3 content increased. The direct current (DC) magnetic susceptibility indicates a predominantly ferromagnetic interaction between the magnetic ions at lower temperatures for all samples. The ESR spectra indicate the aggregated forms of Fe3+ and Mn2+ ions that confirm the results obtained from optical measurements and DC magnetic susceptibility. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.