2014 In stretched poly(vinylidene fluoride) films, the transition from unpolar 03B1-form to a polar form (03B1p) is produced by pohng at 80 °C by an electric field of 1 MV/cm. This oriented form has the same lattice constants as 03B1-form but is associated with extra diffuse reflections. This form and the diffuse reflections disappear by annealing above 170 °C and give an oriented and more stab...

We have been working on ion-track membranes of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) because they have attracted a renewed interest for their applications to fuelcells [1]. There were two main conclusions: (i) The PVDF ion-track membranes can efficiently be prepared under milder etching conditions, i.e., without any oxidant additives in the alkaline etching solution [2]; and (ii) irradiation with io...

Quite recently, ion-track membranes of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) have attracted a renewed interest for their applications to next-generation electrochemical devices such as fuel cells [1,2]. In order to produce tracketched pores in PVDF films, several kinds of etching solutions were previously employed. In most cases [3], a highly concentrated aqueous KOH solution with a KMnO4 additive w...

Electrical field-induced strain response of electron-irradiated poly~vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene! copolymer has been studied by a Mach–Zehnder type heterodyne interferometer in the frequency range of 3–9 kHz. The electrostrictive constant is calculated from the strain results, which is of the same order of magnitude as those obtained at 1 Hz by a bimorph-based strain sensor but at muc...

This paper reports on a fabrication method for producing piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride) films in their electroactive β-phase that features controlled thickness, smooth and flat surface, and high transparency. These films are suitable for being used as integrated microactuators, such as piezoelectric pumps and/or mixers, in microfluidic applications. -PVDF films with a thickness of abou...