Physical properties and β‐phase increment of AgNO₃‐filled poly(vinylidene fluoride) films

X‐ray diffraction (XRD), infrared (IR) transmition and optical absorption (OA) spectra, differential thermal analysis (DTA), dc electrical resistivity (ρ), magnetic susceptibility (χ) and electron spin resonance (ESR) of AgNO 3 ‐filled poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) films, were measured over the filler mass fraction range 0.001 ≤ W ≤ 15%. XRD and IR analysis evidenced the increase of α‐ and β‐PVDF crystalline phases due to the AgNO 3 filler. The maximum crystallinity increment was found at W = 0.5%. Three endothermic peaks were detected by DTA, and were attributed subsequently to: the first order para–para‐electric phase transition, the first‐order ferro‐para‐electric phase transition and the melting. The melting peak was used to calculate the order of reaction and the activation energy of melting. The observed OA peaks and/or plateau were attributed to the charge‐transfer complex formed mainly by the AgNO 3 filler. This assumption was supported by the diamagnetic susceptibility detected for the present system. The temperature dependence of ρ was explored according to a previously proposed one‐dimensional interpolaron‐hopping model. The hopping distance was formulated numerically as a function of temperature and filling level. The ESR findings were attributed to the roles of AgNO 3 and dimethylformamide solvent in complex formation.