Title Information
Title
Structural Evolution of PVDF under Heat and Pressure: Crystallinity and Phase Composition via FTIR and XRD Analysis
Type of Resource (primo)
dissertations
Name: Personal
Name Part
Wang, Guanlin
Role
Role Term: Text
creator
Name: Personal
Name Part
Mathiowitz, Edith
Role
Role Term: Text
Advisor
Name: Personal
Name Part
Morgan, Jeffrey
Role
Role Term: Text
Reader
Name: Personal
Name Part
Darling, Eric
Role
Role Term: Text
Reader
Name: Corporate
Name Part
Brown University. Biology and Medicine: Biotechnology
Role
Role Term: Text
sponsor
Origin Information
Copyright Date
2025
Physical Description
Extent
, None p.
digitalOrigin
born digital
Note: thesis
Thesis (Sc. M.)--Brown University, 2025
Genre (aat)
theses
Abstract
This study investigates the synergistic effects of temperature (30–210°C) and pressure (10,000 lbs) on the crystalline phase evolution of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), focusing on enhancing its electroactive β-phase content. Triplicate PVDF samples were processed under controlled thermal and pressure conditions, followed by structural characterization via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Non-pressurized samples exhibited dominant α-phase crystallization (2–3% β-phase) below 150°C, with a minor β-phase increase (3–4%) near melting temperatures. In contrast, pressurized samples demonstrated accelerated β-phase nucleation, achieving 6–7% β-phase at 70–130°C and a peak of 9.6% at 170°C, near the α-phase melting point. This marked increase highlights pressure’s role in reducing energy barriers for all-trans chain alignment, stabilizing the polar β-phase. However, post-melting treatments (190–210°C) under pressure reverted β-phase content to baseline levels (1–2%), emphasizing that phase transitions are contingent on maintaining sub-melt conditions. Statistical reproducibility across triplicates confirmed robust trends. These findings underscore the potential of pressure-assisted thermal processing to tailor PVDF’s polymorphic behavior, offering a solvent-free pathway to enhance piezoelectric performance for applications in sensors and energy harvesting. The study bridges processing parameters with functional outcomes, providing actionable insights for optimizing PVDF’s electromechanical properties.
Subject (fast) (authorityURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast", valueURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast/01070588")
Topic
Polymers
Language
Language Term (ISO639-2B)
English
Record Information
Record Content Source (marcorg)
RPB
Record Creation Date (encoding="iso8601")
20250707