SPACE-CHARGE IN POLYETHYLENE IONOMER BLENDS

Measurements of thermally stimulated currents were made on ionomer/pol yethylene blends. The objective of this work was to study space charge formation in these materials. Two ionomers were compared; both ionome rs contained methacrylic acid, neutralized by zinc in one and by sodiu m in the other. A large current peak centered near 60 degrees C was ob served in all blends and associated with the motion of space charges i njected into the blends during poling. All blends accumulated large ne gative space charge concentrations. The approach to the equilibrium sp ace charge distribution (negative and spatially uniform in all blends) is much more rapid in the blends containing the sodium ionomer than i n the blends containing the zinc ionomer.