Dielectric Materials

PRESENTED BY
NIRAV JANI
ROLL NO:-18(GENERAL)
MATERIALS SCIENCE(3
rd
SEMESTER)

Contents
Introduction
Polar molecules and their behavior in an electric field
Non- Polar molecules and their behavior in an electric field
Polarisation of dielectric slab
How capacitance increases by introduction of dielectric slab?
Types of polarisation
Dielectric properties
Effect of inserting a dielectric slab in parallel plate capacitor
References


Introduction
A dielectric material is one that is electrically insulating
(nonmetallic) and exhibit or may be made to exhibit an electric
dipole structure; that is, there is a separation of positive and
negative electrically charged entities on a molecular or atomic
level.As a result of dipole interactions with electric fields,
dielectric materials are utilized in capacitors.
Michael faraday discovered that if an insulating slab is
introduced in to capacitor, the capacitance of capacitor
increases. The factor by which capacitance increases is know
as dielectric constant or relative permittivity. The molecules of
dielectrics are classified as either polar or non-polar.
Polar molecules and their behaviour in an
electric field
A polar molecule is one in which the centers of gravity of
protons(positive charges) and electrons(negative charges) do
not coincide. e.g. HCl,NH3,H2O.
Polar molecules have generally an asymmetrical distribution of
charge. This is the reason that polar molecules can be called
permanent electric dipoles.
In the absence of an external electric field, the electric dipole
moments of polar molecules (in the dielectric) point in
random direction. So, the electric dipole moments of polar
molecules cancel each other. Thus we can conclude that the
average electric dipole moment per unit volume of dielectric is
zero.

In the presence of an external electric field, the polar
molecules tend to align themselves in the direction of the
electric field. This is due to thermal vibration of molecules.
A better alignment can be obtain by working at lower
temperature and with strong electric field.
The application of external electric field to a polar molecule
also increases the electric dipole moment.

Non-polar molecules and their behavior
in an electric field
A non-polar molecule is that molecule in which the centers of
gravity of protons (positive charges) and electrons (negative
charges) coincide. e.g. O2 ,N2 ,H2 ,CO2 etc. are some examples
of non-polar molecules. In their normal state, the non-polar
molecules have no dipole moment.
When non-polar molecules is placed in an electric field, the
protons as whole are pulled in direction of electirc field while
electrons are pulled in direction opposite to the direction of
electric field. The separation between the charges continues till
the forces acting on them due to external electric field are
balanced by internal forces. The molecule is said to be
polarised and is know as induced electric dipole. The dipole
moment so acquired is know as induced electric dipole
moment. If the external electric field is removed, the induced
dipole moment disappears.
The induced dipole moment is proportional to the applied
electric field and is almost independent of temperature.
Moreover, the direction of induced dipole moment is parallel
to the direction of electric field . The induced dipole
moment of a single polar atom is given by
p

Polarisation of dielectric slab

The dielectric may be made up of polar or non-polar
molecules. But the net effect of electric field is the same. i.e.
to align the molecules in the direction of the electric field.
The alignment of the dipole moments of the permanent or
induced dipoles in the direction of the applied electric field is
called polarisation.
There is an excess of positive charge in one layer and excess
of negative charges in other layer. The induced charges on the
surfaces of the dielectric are bound their respective molecules.
So these are called bound charges. If we consider the portion
of the dielectric between the surface layers, we find that the
net charge per unit volume is zero. Moreover, the negative
induced surface charge is equal to positive induced charge. So,
the dielectric as a whole remains electrically neutral.




It is clear from the above discussion that polarisation of the
dielectric does not result in any net increase in the charge of
dielectric. It merely brings about a relative displacement of
charges.
How capacitance increases by introduction of
dielectric slab?
Consider a capacitor in vacuum situation, wherein a charge of
is stored on the top plate and on the bottom one. when a
dielectric is introduced and an electric field is applied ,the entire
solid within plates becomes polarized. As result of polarization,
there is net accumulation of negative charge of magnitude at
the dielectric surface near the positive charged plate and in a
similar manner, a surplus of charge at the surface adjacent to
negative plate.
For a region of dielectric removed from these surfaces,
polarization effect is not important. Thus, if each plate and its
adjacent dielectric surface are considered to be single entity, the
induced charge from the dielectric( or ) may be thought of
as nullifying some of the charge that originally existed on the
plate for vacuum( or ). The voltage imposed across the
plate is maintained at the vacuum value by increasing the charge
at the negative (or bottom) by an amount
0
Q +
0
Q
' Q
' Q +
' Q + ' Q
0
Q
0
Q +
' Q
and the top plate by . Electrons are caused to flow from
positive to negative plate by the external voltage source, such
that the proper voltage is reestablished. And so the charge on
each plate is now , having been increased by an
amount


' Q +
'
0
Q Q +
' Q
Types of polarisation
i d a e total o o o o o + + + =
e o
a o
d o
i o
=Electronic polarizability
=atomic/ionic polarizability
=orientation polarizability
=interfacial or space charge polarizability
Dielectric properties
Dielectric constant :- The ratio of the permittivity of a
medium to that of vacuum. Often called the relative
permittivity ( ). r e
o e =e e / r
Dielectric strength:- Dielectric strength of a dielectric is
defined as maximum value of electric field or potential
gradient that can be applied to the dielectric without its
dielectric breakdown. It is given in terms of kV/mm.
Material Dielectric strength
(in kV/mm)
Material Dielectric strength
(in kV/mm)
vacuum Paper 14
Pyrex
glass
14 Polystyrene 25
mica 12 Teflon 60
Neoprene
rubber
12 Air 3
bakelite 24 Fused
quartz
8

Effect of inserting a dielectric slab in

parallel plat capacitor
When the dielectric slab is introduced between two
plates of a parallel plate capacitor,
1) The electric field is reduced.( , )
2) The potential difference between the plates of
capacitor reduced.( , )
3) The capacitance of capacitor is increased.( , )

E E<
1 > K
V V < 1 > K
C C > 1 > K
References
Materials science and engineering an introduction (sixth
edition-2007) William D. Callister.

Comprehensive physics (class XII) by Narinder Kumar.