Study of electrical properties for albumin/ poly(vinyl alcohol) blends

Thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC), d.c. electrical conductivity (σ), and current–time characteristic techniques were used to study electrical polarization and conduction mechanisms for pure poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and 2.5, 5, 10, 12, 15, and 20 wt % albumin content in PVA thin films. The TSDC spectrum for PVA revealed the existence of two broad peaks, while the blend samples show only one broad peak with a shoulder in the high‐temperature side. The existence of this current maximum was analyzed and discussed in terms of dipole‐orientation and space‐charge phenomena. Quantitative analysis was carried out to determine the thermal activation energies of the conduction process, drift mobility, and carrier concentration. The crystallinty of the PVA matrix was enhanced by the addition of albumin, as indicated by X‐ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements.