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A kind of semi-aromatic polyamide, poly(dodecamethylene terephthalamide) (PA12T) was synthesized via a three-step reaction of terephthalic acid and 1,12-dodecanediamine. The structure of the prepared PA12T was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR). The thermal behaviour of PA12T was determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Melting temperature (Tm), glass transition temperature (Tg) and decomposition temperature (Td) of PA12T are 311°C, 144°C and 429°C, respectively. Isothermal crystallization kinetics of PA12T have been investigated in the temperature range of 270-280°C using DSC. The activation energies (ΔE) were determined to be -170.4 kJ/mol for the isothermal crystallization processes by the Arrhenius’ methods.

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The concept of energy harvesting works towards developing self-powered devices that do not require replaceable power supplies. Energy scavenging devices are designed to capture the ambient energy surrounding the electronics and convert it into usable electrical energy. A number of sources of harvestable ambient energy exist, including waste heat, vibration, electromagnetic waves, wind, flowing water, and solar energy. While each of these sources of energy can be effectively used to power remote sensors, the structural and biological communities have placed an emphasis on scavenging vibrational energy with ferroelectric materials. Ferroelectric materials have a crystalline structure that provide a unique ability to convert an applied electrical potential into a mechanical strain or vice versa. Based on the properties of the material, this paper investigates the technique of power harvesting and storage.