Recent uses of flexible electret loudspeakers in futuristic applications have garnered much interest for these novel loudspeakers. In this paper, a novel thin film processing method was developed to improve the performance of an electret diaphragm. This paper discusses the relationship between the charge storage and the additive concentration. A cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) thin film containing an additive such as 2-(6-mercaptohexyl) malonic acid was prepared using a spin-coating process. Furthermore, attention was directed towards the processing conditions which were found to have an important role and are related to the self-assembly and micelle formation behavior of the additives in the COC. In the present study, thin films of 13 νm thickness were charged by a corona method. Compared with a reference thin film of pure COC, results indicated that when a 3497 mgkg -1 additive was added to the COC matrix, the obtained surface potential was 71% higher. Thus, the results show that a COC + additive thin film leads to a much improved charge storage. It appears to be an inexpensive and relatively easy way to form a thin structure for developing novel flexible electret loudspeakers.
Relation:
Smart Materials and Structures 19(5), 055007(9pages)
Use of 2-(6-mercaptohexyl) malonic acid to adjust the morphology and electret properties of cyclic olefin copolymer and its application to flexible loudspeakers.pdf
