Dielectric and pyroelectric properties of a composite of ferroelectric ceramic and polyurethane

Flexible piezo- and pyroelectric composite was made in the thin film form by spin coating. Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) ceramic powder was dispersed in a castor oil-based polyurethane (PU) matrix, providing a composite with 0–3 connectivity. The dielectric data, measured over a wide range of frequency (10−5 Hz to 105 Hz), shows a loss peak around 100 Hz related with impurities in the polymer matrix. There is also an evidence of a peak in the range 10−4 Hz, possibly originating from the glass transition temperature Tg of the polymer. The pyroelectric coefficient at 343 K is 7.0×10−5 C·m−2·K−1 which is higher than that of β-PVDF (1×10−5 C·m−2·K−1).