Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide-Filled Polystyrene as a Dielectric Material

Electrical impedance measurements are carried out on high temperature superconducting ceramic Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide (YBCO)-Polystyrene (PS) composite materials, in which superconducting particles are embedded in polystyrene matrix. The results of impedance versus frequency (100 Hz-13 MHz), phase angle versus temperature for volume percentage of superconductor (0-40%) are presented. No marked transition in phase angle is observed when the material goes through the superconducting transition temperature of the filler. The dielectric constant and losses increase with increasing YBCO content. However the increase in losses is modest and the excellent dielectric properties of the composites are not adversely affected. The system conforms to Clausius-Mossotti equation. Dipole moment of YBCO particles and polarizability of the composites are calculated using the Clausius-Mossotti approaches. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 120: 2233-2241, 2011