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

This article describes electrical properties such as space charge distribution and electrical conduction characteristics of 2-vinylpyridine (VP) grafted low density polyethylenes (PE). The VP incorporated onto PE chains changes 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 with VP content of 0.754 wt % has also been found to obey a space charge limited conduction mechanism: effective charge mobility at 70°C was calculated to be 4.6×10^-16 m²/V s: an activation energy for the conduction was estimated to be 0.81 eV at 70°C.