Charge distribution and conduction characteristics of 2-vinylpyridine-grafted polyethylenes

This article describes electrical properties such as space charge distribut ion and electrical conduction characteristics of 2-vinylpyridine (VP) graft ed low density polyethylenes (PE). The VP incorporated onto PE chains chang es electrical properties of PE. For example, the homocharge found in virgin PE decreases with the increase of graft ratio. As a result of the nitrogen acting as an electron donor, no space charge develops at high graft ratios . It has been found that VP reduces the current density in PE. Grafted PE w ith VP content of 0.754 wt % has also been found to obey a space charge lim ited conduction mechanism: effective charge mobility at 70 degrees C was ca lculated to be 4.6 x 10(-16) m(2)/V s: an activation energy for the conduct ion was estimated to be 0.81 eV at 70 degrees C. (C) 2000 American Institut e of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)01910-1].