Room temperature ferroelectric effect and enhanced dielectric permittivity in Rochelle salt/PVA percolative composite films

Rochelle salt (RS) filled polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composite films have been prepared via a simple solution casting technique. The transport, dielectric and ferroelectric properties of the samples have been studied. The dielectric permittivity decreases slowly with increasing frequency and rise gradually with increasing temperature and RS contents in the composites. As the volume fraction of the RS reaches to percolation threshold (fc ∼0.0538), an abrupt increase in the dielectric permittivity (∼403 almost 80 times higher compared to pure PVA with low loss ∼0.18 at 1 kHz and room temperature) occurs in the RS/PVA composite film, which is attributed to the formation of the conductive network in the matrix. Ferroelectric loops up to room temperature (300 K) and the slight increase in Curie temperature from 297 to 300 K have also been observed for percolative composite film. The developed composite material with low loss high dielectric permittivity and room temperature ferroelectric behaviors might be applied in the technological fields.

► Rochelle salt/PVA composite films have been prepared by solvent casting technique. ► The transport, dielectric and ferroelectric properties of the samples have been studied. ► The result exhibited percolative nature with high dielectric permittivity and low loss. ► Ferroelectric behavior at room temperature (300 K) has also been observed for the percolative composite. ► Such composite film might possess immense technological importance.