DIELECTRIC HYSTERESIS LOOP IN ALICYCLIC AND AROMATIC POLYAMIDES

The relationship between electric displacement D and electric field E was studied for alicyclic polyamides of 1,3-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexan e and adipic, pimelic and sebacic acids, an aromatic polyamide prepare d from hexamethylenediamine (HMD) and isophthalic acid and a copolyami de of HMD with isophthalic and terephthalic acids. Quenched samples of these polyamides were poorly crystalline or amorphous and exhibited a D-E hysteresis loop with the remanent polarization of 26 to 38 mC.m-2 . The remanent polarizations disappeared at the glass transition tempe rature of each sample. The origin of the D-E hysteresis loop is attrib utable to amide groups in amorphous regions.