Piezoelectric and Electromechanical Characteristics of Porous Poly(Ethylene-co-Vinyl Acetate) Copolymer Films for Smart Sensors and Mechanical Energy Harvesting Applications

This paper investigates energy harvesting performances of porous piezoelectric polymer films to collect electrical energy from vibrations and power various sensors. The influence of void content on the elastic matrix, dielectric, electrical, and mechanical properties of porous piezoelectric polymer films produced from available commercial poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) using an industrially applicable melt-state extrusion method (EVA) were examined and discussed. Electrical and mechanical characterization showed an increase in the harvested current and a decrease in Young’s modulus with the increasing ratio of voids. Thermal analysis revealed a decrease in piezoelectric constant of the porous materials. The authors present a mathematical model that is able to predict harvested current as a function of matrix characteristics, mechanical excitation and porosity percentage. The output current is directly proportional to the porosity percentage. The harvested power significantly increases with increasing strain or porosity, achieving a power value up to 0.23, 1.55, and 3.87 mW/m3 for three EVA compositions: EVA 0%, EVA 37% and EVA 65%, respectively. In conclusion, porous piezoelectric EVA films has great potential from an energy density viewpoint and could represent interesting candidates for energy harvesting applications. Our work contributes to the development of smart materials, with potential uses as innovative harvester systems of energy generated by different vibration sources such as roads, machines and oceans.