Electrical conduction and chemical structures of insulating polymers

Electrical conductions of polyethylene, polypropylene and related fluorinated polymers such as polytetrafluoroethylene and fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer were measured by using the corona electrode. The polarity of dominant carriers changed from negative to positive with increasing the ratio of fluorine atoms to hydrogen atoms. Electronegative fluorine atoms were concluded to provide deep trap sites of negative carriers and suppressed the current due to negative carriers.