Modelling of TSDC results in polymeric materials

Abstract

Thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) curves were obtained by modelling global and thermal sampling experiments on polar systems, considering that the observed relaxation processes are formally interpreted in terms of a distribution of uncoupled activated Debye-like processes with an Arrhenius temperature dependence. Relaxational processes occurring in the solid glassy state and near the glass transition in some polymeric systems were analysed according to this model. Some previously reported experimental results were compared with the simulated data. Three scenarios with different types of characteristic distribution of time were investigated: (i) the distribution arises from a distribution of activation energies, (ii) the distribution arises from a distribution of pre-exponential factors or (iii) the system follows a compensation behaviour, in which a linear relationship between the two thermokinetic parameters is observed.