Equivalent Circuit Modelling of the Dielectric Response of PA6-BaTiO3 Nanocomposites with Different Levels of Absorbed Moisture

The effect of moisture content and different levels of Barium Titanate (BTO) filler in Polyamide (PA6) on the dielectric response is investigated through an equivalent circuit with Dissado-Hill circuit elements. The dielectric measurements were conducted under dry condition and 75% relative humidity at an above glass transition temperature of 80°C. The dielectric response has been decomposed into alpha and beta relaxation processes, a quasi-dc (QDC) process, dc conductance and high frequency independent permittivity (Ɛ ͚). It was found that the characteristic frequency and magnitude of each process are strongly moisture dependent but the addition of BTO only has minor effects compared to that of the moisture.