Enhanced Dielectric and Thermal Performance of Bio-polyamide Polyhedral Oligomeric SilseSquioxane (PA-POSS) Nanocomposites

Polyamide-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (PA-POSS) nanocomposites are prepared using eco-friendly surfactant-free dimer fatty acid polyamide with different wt% of POSS by a facile solvent casting method. The prepared biopolymer nanocomposites are investigated using transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy to understand the structural orientation between POSS and polyamide. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates that the PA-POSS have better thermal stability as compared to that of pristine polymers. Differential scanning calorimetry shows a shift in glass transition temperature as the loadings of POSS increase in the polymer. Dielectric properties such as dielectric breakdown strength, dielectric permittivity, dielectric loss, and AC conductivity are performed on polymeric materials to investigate frequency dependent dielectric properties. Results showed that the thermal stability and dielectric permittivity of PA-POSS are 25% superior compared to pristine polyamides; such an enhancement may be due to the POSS being uniformly settled in nano-level by proper structural orientation of POSS with the polyamide throughout the polymer matrix. PA-POSS nanocomposites exhibiting improved dielectric properties can be explored for the fabrication of biocompatible polymeric film capacitors application.