Dielectric Material

What is dielectric
Difference between dielectric and insulator
Types of dielectrics
Dielectric constant
Types Dielectric polarization
Temperature Effect on Dielectric polarization
Frequency dependent Dielectric polarization
Dielectric Loss
Dielectric Break down
 Dielectric : It is sub category of insulator
A dielectric (or dielectric material) is an
electrical insulator that can be polarized by
an applied electric field.

They have electric dipole moment

Ex: Mica, glass, plastics
 Difference between dielectric and insulator

When these materials are used to prevent flow of electricity

through them on the application of potential difference, then
they are called insulators or passive dielectrics.

On the other hand, if they are used for charge storage then
they are called dielectrics or active dielectrics.
Property Dielectric Insulator
Polarize Polarize in an electric field. Can not polarize

Bond Weakly bonded as Covalent Bond

compared to the insulator.

Dielectric constant High Low

Charges Store the charges Obstruction to the charges.

Dielectric Parameters
 Dielectric constant(K/ᶓr ):-
It measures the ability of a substance to store electrical
energy in an electric field.
Electric /Dielectric Polarization (P)
The process of producing electric dipoles by an electric field is called polarization in
dielectrics.
“ In simple words polarization P is defined as the dipole moment per unit
volume averaged over the volume of a cell”

P = μ / volume
 Polarizability (α)
When a dielectric material is placed in an electric field,
the displacement of electric charge gives rise to the
creation of dipole in the material . The polarization P of
an elementary particle is directly proportional to the
electric field strength E.
Electrical flux density (D)
Applications

Insulation
Applications
Energy Storage
application

Piezo-
electric
dielectric
 Types of dielectrics

Polar dielectrics
Non polar dielectrics
Non polar dielectrics
In a non-polar molecule, the centres of
positive and negative charges coincide.
The molecule then has no permanent (or
intrinsic) dipole moment.

Examples : oxygen (O2) and hydrogen (H2)

molecules which, because of their symmetry,
have no dipole moment
 Polar dielectrics
In a polar molecule, the centres of positive and
negative charges not coincide with each other .
The molecule then has permanent (or intrinsic) dipole
moment .
 Electronic polarization

- +
+

-
-
Electric Field

due to the displacement of positively charged nucleus and negatively

charged electrons in opposite directions, when an external electric
field is applied, and thereby a dipole moment is created in the
dielectric.
where ‘αe’ is called electronic
Polarizability constant 25
 Electronic polarization

Hence electronic Polaris ability is directly

proportional to cube of the radius of the atom.

It occurs only at optical frequencies (1015Hz).

It is independent on temperature
 Orientation polarization:
In polar molecules: (E=0) the net dipole moment is
negligibly small since all the molecular dipoles are
oriented randomly when there is no EF.

(E≠0) these all dipoles orient themselves in the

direction of field as a result the net dipole moment
becomes enormous.
 Orientation polarization:

It occurs at a frequency 106 Hz to 1010Hz

It greatly depends on temperature

No Filed Field
present
 Ionic Polarization
Ionic polarization arises due to the displacement of negative
ions and positive ions in opposite directions and it occurs in
ionic solids, in the presence of electric field.

- + - -
- +
+ + -
- +
- - - -
+ + +
+ + -
- +
- -
+ -
- +
+ + +

Electric field

This polarization occurs at frequency 1013 Hz 29

 Ionic Polarization

It is independent of temperature
 Space charge/interfacial
Polarization
This polarization occurs whenever there is an
accumulation of charge at an interface between two
materials (Or) two regions within the material

due to the diffusion of ions, along the field direction,

thereby giving rise to redistribution of charges in the
dielectrics
 Space charge/interfacial
Polarization

It takes longer time (diffusion)

It occurs at low frequencies

We mostly neglect the

Space charge polarization
Time scales of the polarization process
 Total polarization
(On application of electric field)
(Pm=neglect)

Total polarizability
Temperature dependence of
Polarization
Time scales of the polarization process
What is dielectric
Difference between dielectric and insulator
Types of dielectrics
Dielectric constant
Types Dielectric polarization
Temperature Effect on Dielectric polarization
Frequency dependent Dielectric polarization

Dielectric Loss
Dielectric Break down
 Dielectric Break down
When the voltage applied across it exceeds
the breakdown voltage. This results in the
insulator becoming electrically conductor
 Dielectric Strength

It is a measure of the ability of that

material to withstand high electric fields

Or
Maximum electric field that the dielectric can
withstand without suffering electrical break down
Emax = Vmax/d
Dielectric Strength
 Dielectric Break down
When the voltage applied across it exceeds
the breakdown voltage. This results in the
insulator becoming electrically conductor
Types of Dielectric Break down
1.Intrinsic
2.Thermal
3.Discharge
4.Electrochemical
5.Defect
 Intrinsic Break down
when a dielectric is subjected to high electric fields the
electrons in the valence band acquire sufficient energy to
overcome the large energy gap and get excited to the
conduction band. The mobile electrons get highly
accelerated in the high electric field and so by collisions they
excite more electrons to the conduction band .thus more
and more electrons are released to the conduction band
resulting in an avalanche of conduction electrons

Large electric fields

Normal temperature
Thin samples
 Thermal Break down
When high frequency ac field is applied to a
dielectric there will be energy loss (dielectric loss) ,
and this energy has to be dissipated as heat energy
.if the dissipation is not effective, due to poor
thermal conductivity of the dielectric, the material
gets heated up and may cause melting of the
dielectric

At Higher temperatures
In ac fields, Breakdown strength is lower
It depends upon size and shape of the material
 Discharge Break down

Breakdown of dielectric by gas

discharge
External discharge break down (Carbon formation)
Internal discharge Break down (Cavity)
 Electrochemical Break down
Free ions (some materials)
Leakage current (due to free ions)
As temperature increases Leakage
current increases

As leakage current

Resistance of dielectric
Leads to dielectric breakdown
 Defect Break down
Cracks
Porosity
Moisture may deposit

Leads to dielectric break down

 Dielectric loss
When an ac field is applied to a dielectric material,
some amount of electrical energy is absorbed by the
dielectric material and is wasted in the form of heat.

This loss is known as dielectric loss.

The dielectric loss is the major engineering problem.

 Dielectric loss

Energy lost for reversing the polarization

(dipoles)
In an ideal dielectric, the current leads the voltage by an angle of 90
degree

But in the case of a commercial dielectric, the current does not

exactly leads the voltage by 90 degree. It leads by some other angle
q less than 90 degree.
 Phase angle between φ and
V now less than 90o

δ= 90- φ
Tan δ known as los tangent
Power loss= VI Tan δ
Or VI Cos φ
 Clausius–Mossotti relation

It is named after Ottaviano-Fabrizio

Mossotti and Rudolf Clausius.

The equation provides a link between a microscopic

quantity (the polarizability) and a macroscopic
quantity (the dielectric constant)
Let us consider a solid dielectric , which
exhibits only electronic polarizability and
placed in a electric field

N is number of atoms/m3 , E = Total field acting on the atoms, αe =

Electronic polarizability

Applied filed + field due to

polarizations

P=
 Problems
Particle in a 1 D box