Composites having tunable dielectric constants, methods of manufacture thereof, and articles comprising the same

1. A composition comprising:

a polymeric material; and

perovskite fillers comprising copper-titanium-oxides having the formula (II):

A′ 2/3 Cu 3 Ti 3 FeO 12   (II)

where A′ is bismuth or yttrium; wherein the perovskite fillers have a dielectric constant that is greater than or equal to about 1000; and wherein the dielectric constant of the composition is tunable by changing the frequency of an applied electrical field to the composition.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the perovskite fillers have a dielectric constant that is greater than or equal to about 10,000.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material comprises a thermoplastic polymer, a thermosetting polymer, blends of thermoplastic polymers or blends of thermoplastic polymers with thermosetting polymers.

4. An article comprising the composition of claim 1 .

5. A method of preparing a composition comprising:

blending a polymeric resin with perovskite fillers comprising copper-titanium-oxides having the formula (II):

A′ 2/3 Cu 3 Ti 3 FeO 12   (II)

where A′ is bismuth or yttrium; to form a composition; wherein the perovskite fillers have a dielectric constant of greater than or equal to about 1000 and wherein the dielectric constant of the composition is tunable by changing the frequency of an applied electrical field to the composition.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising casting the composition.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising molding the composition

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the molding comprises injection molding.

9. An article manufactured by the method of claim 5 .

10. An article comprising the composition of claim 1 .

11. The article of claim 10 , wherein the article is a capacitor or a component for a spark plug.

12. The composition of claim 3 , wherein the polymeric material comprises polyetherimide, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinylidine fluoride-trifluoroethylene P(VDF-TrFE), polyvinylidene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymers P(VDF-TFE), polyvinylidine trifluoroethylene hexafluoropropylene copolymers P(VDF-TFE-HFE) and polyvinylidine hexafluoropropylene copolymers P(VDF-HFE), epoxy, polypropylene, polyester, polyimide, polyarylate, polyphenylsulfone, polystyrene, polyethersulfone, polyamideimide, polyurethane, polycarbonate, polyetheretherketone, silicone, or blends thereof.

13. The composition of claim 12 , wherein the polymeric material comprises a polyetherimide.

14. The composition of claim 12 , wherein the polymeric material comprises a blend with a thermosetting polymer further comprising resins of epoxy/amine, epoxy/anhydride, isocyanate/amine, isocyanate/alcohol, unsaturated polyesters, vinyl esters, unsaturated polyester and vinyl ester blends, unsaturated polyester/urethane hybrid resins, polyurethane-ureas, reactive dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) resin, or reactive polyamides.

15. The composition of claim 3 , wherein the polymeric material comprises a blend comprising acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene/nylon, polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polyphenylene ether/polystyrene, polyphenylene ether/polyamide, polycarbonate/polyester, or polyphenylene ether/polyolefin.

16. The composition of claim 12 , wherein the polymeric material comprises a blend with a thermosetting polymer made from an energy activatable thermosetting pre-polymer composition.

17. The composition of claim 16 , wherein the energy activatable thermosetting pre-polymer composition comprises a polymer precursor and a curing agent.

18. The composition of claim 17 , wherein the curing agent comprises one or more aliphatic amines, aromatic amines, acid anhydrides or combinations of these.

19. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the perovskites fillers are surface treated.

20. The composition of claim 19 , wherein the surface treatment comprises a silane coupling agent.

21. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the perovskites fillers have an average largest dimension less than or equal to about 1000 nm.

22. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the perovskites fillers are dispersed into the polymeric material at loadings of from about 0.0001 wt % to about 50 wt % based upon the total weight of the composition.

23. The method of claim 5 , wherein the blending comprising solution blending or melt blending.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein prior to solution or melt blending, the polymeric material and perovskite fillers are dry blended.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the perovskite fillers are introduced into a melt blending device in the form of a masterbatch.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the masterbatch of perovskite fillers is introduced in the melt blending device downstream of the polymeric material.

27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the perovskite fillers are present in the masterbatch in an amount of from about 10 wt % to about 50 wt % of the total weight of the masterbatch.

28. The method of claim 23 , wherein the polymeric resin is suspended in a fluid and introduced into an ultrasonic sonicator with the perovskite fillers and subjected to sonication for a period of time sufficient for the fluid to swell the polymeric material.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the fluid is present in an amount of from about 5 wt % to about 20 wt % of the total weight of the composition.