Study of AC Electrical Properties Aluminium-Epoxy Composites

Ac electrical properties of aluminium flakes–epoxy composites were studied as a function of the composition, frequency and temperature. The dielectric constant increased smoothly with an increase in the concentration of aluminium. An increase in the dielectric constant was observed with the temperature as well as with a decrease in the frequency. The observed increase in the values of the dielectric constant with the aluminium concentration was attributed to interfacial polarization. It was found that ac electrical conductivity increases with increasing content of aluminium, temperature and frequency. The observed enhancement in ac conductivity is attributed to the increase in the number of conduction paths created by the aluminium flake contacts in the composite to give a higher electrical conductivity. Also, the activation energy of aluminium flakes–epoxy composites was determined, as well as the values of the dielectric constant. Compared with various theoretical models, Bruggman's formula gives a better fit. The universal power-law model of ac conductivity is observed in epoxy–aluminium composites. The calculated power exponent (about unity) is physically acceptable within this applied model.