1. Pyroelectricity
GLY 4200 – Lecture 4 –Fall, 2012

2. Pyroelectricity Effect Diagram
Image: pyro.jpg

3. Polarization Pi = pi ΔT where Pi is the polarization vector,
pi are the pyroelectric coefficients, and
ΔT is the temperature change

4. PVDF
Polymers - such as Polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) - consist of long chains of  molecules, as is shown in the image above

5. Pyroelectricity in Polymers
Certain molecular groups act as dipoles and can be oriented in an electric field
When the poled polymer is exposed to heat, the sample expands, causing the dipole spacing to change, and generating a charge