Effect of corona ageing on the structure changes of polyimide and polyimide/Al2O3 nanocomposite films

In order to investigate the corona ageing mechanism of polyimide and polyimide/Al₂O₃ nanocomposites, effects of corona ageing on the structure changes of the two polymers were studied. The physical and chemical changes were studied by Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscope (FTIR) respectively. Modified isothermal discharge current method (MIDC) was used to investigate the trap level distribution before and after corona ageing. AFM images showed that there are large amounts of nano-clusters on the surface of polyimide nanocomposite before corona ageing. The surface roughness parameters of the nanocomposite is much larger than that of the pure polyimide, and that is slightly decreased for polyimide nanocomposite and largely increased for pure polyimide after corona ageing. FTIR spectra analysis showed that possible chemical changes due to the decomposition of C–O–C bond and C–N bond occurred during corona ageing for both polyimide and its nanocomposite. Pulse corona ageing can introduce even larger structure changes than the AC corona ageing for 100HN, while 100CR was just the opposite. IDC measurements showed that the trap level density was increased evidently after corona ageing and become larger for longer ageing time in 100HN film, whereas for 100CR, the trap level density was decreased with ageing time extended. Thus conclusions can be drawn that, corona ageing is a combined process leading to physical and chemical degradation of PI film. The more serious ageing the specimen suffers, the more changes of the trap level density and the surface roughness occurs. The deposition of inorganic nanoparticles on the surface of nanocomposite can form a flat block layer for corona ageing, which can decrease both the surface roughness and the physical trap level density.