Dielectric property of Cu powder/polymer composites

Dielectric property of Cu/polymer thermoplastic composites was measured in high frequencies up to 1 GHz. Generally relative permittivity and dielectric loss of the composites increased as the increasing metal inclusion loading as the percolation theory predicts. The incorporation of the copper inclusion with surface antirust layer raised relative permittivity of the composite from 2.3 to 21.3 at the loading level of 39.3 vol. % at 500 MHz. When copper oxide layer was introduced to the filler surface, estimated increase of relative permittivity was ca. 25 %. Since metal composites with ordered structure would raise the relative permittivity of the composites, the cause of this increase in relative permittivity in the present study can be attributable to reduced compatibility of the filler surface and the polymer matrix which lowers randomness of particle distribution. On the other hand, dielectric loss of the composite with surface oxidized Cu powder was increased by ca. 50 % compared to that of the anti/rusted powder composite. This would be caused by skin effect that part of the induced current flows through the less conductive surface oxide layer.