Enhancement effects of two kinds of carbon black on piezoelectricity of PVDF-HFP composite films

Two kinds of carbon black (CB) (i.e., CB#300 and CB#3350) were added into poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), respectively, to improve its piezoelectricity. The results revealed that when 0.5 wt.% CB was added, the best performance of the PVDF-HFP/CB composite films was obtained. The calibrated open circuit voltage and the density of harvested power of 0.5 wt.% CB#3350 contained composite films were 204%, and 464% (AC) and 561% (DC) of those of neat PVDF-HFP films. Similarly, for 0.5 wt.% CB#300 contained films, they were 211%, and 475% (AC) and 624% (DC), respectively. The enhancement mechanisms of piezoelectricity were clarified by the observation of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). We found that the added CBs act as nucleate agents to promote the formation of elongated, oriented and fibrillar β-phase crystals during the fabrication process, which increase the piezoelectricity. Overdosed CBs lead to a lower crystallinity degree, resulting in the lower piezoelectricity. Compared with CB#3350, CB#300 performs slightly better, which may be ascribed to its higher specific surface area.