Time-domain characterisation of epoxy-based barium titanate nanocomposites

In this article, the dielectric response of epoxy resin and epoxy-based barium titanate (BaTiO₃) nanocomposites is characterised in the time-domain, based on polarisation and depolarisation current measurements. The aim of this article is to understand the dominant polarisation mechanisms in neat epoxy and its nanocomposites and validate the findings in frequency-domain spectroscopy (FDS). The effect of various parameters on the dielectric response of the material is investigated to this end, namely, polarisation–depolarisation time, electrode material, electric field and specimen thickness. The effect of pre-processing the nano-particles before use is also studied. In order to validate the findings of FDS, time-domain spectroscopy (TDS) of neat epoxy and its nanocomposites is performed.