Dielectric relaxation in poly(monobenzyl itaconate)

The dielectric relaxation properties of poly(monobenzyl itaconate) have been studied and four relaxation processes (α, β, γ and δ) have been found. These processes respectively appear in the decreasing order of temperatures 100, 20, -42 and -110°C at 2 kHz. The best defined relaxations, α and γ, have been described in terms of semiempirical models. Different molecular origins for each relaxation have been proposed by comparison with other polymers of similar structures, particularly with poly(benzyl methacrylate). In the general case, the higher complexity of the side chains in poly(methacrylates) as well as in poly(itaconates) involves the possibility of multiple relaxation mechanisms that are not always easy to interpret.