Dipole Orientation Engineering in Crosslinking Polymer Blends for High-Temperature Energy Storage Applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Advanced electronic and power systems require polymer dielectrics for harsh conditions.
• Balancing dielectric constant (K), breakdown strength (Eb), and thermal stability is a key challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop high-performance polymer dielectrics for high-temperature applications.
• To enhance dielectric properties by modifying cyano polymers with amide crosslinking.

Main Methods:

• Introducing amide crosslinking networks into cyano polymers to form asymmetric dipole pairs.
• Investigating styrene-acrylonitrile/crosslinking styrene-maleic anhydride (SAN/CSMA) blends.
• Evaluating dielectric constant, breakdown strength, and energy density at elevated temperatures.

Main Results:

• SAN/CSMA blends achieved a K of 4.35 and Eb of 670 MV m⁻¹ at 120 °C.
• Ultrahigh discharged energy densities (Ue) of 8.6 J cm⁻³ (120 °C) and 7.4 J cm⁻³ (150 °C) with 90% efficiency were obtained.
• The novel strategy demonstrated excellent cyclic stability and applicability to ABS/CSMA blends.

Conclusions:

• Amide crosslinking effectively activates cyano group dipoles while minimizing polarization losses.
• This approach significantly enhances dielectric performance of polymers at elevated temperatures.
• The developed polymer dielectrics meet the demands for high-temperature electronic and power systems.