Dielectric Anisotropy in Crystalline Long-chain Alcohols

Abstract

Pressed disks made from powdered crystalline long-chain n-primary and secondary alcohols have been shown to be electrically anisotropic. At a particular frequency, the loss factor, when the applied field is parallel to the faces of the disk, is from two to five times greater than when the field is perpendicular to the faces. The observed anisotropy is considered to be due to orientation of the flat crystals of the alcohols parallel to the disk faces. The effect of anisotropy on previously published results for long-chain compounds is discussed. The observed anisotropy is consistent with the main conclusions from this earlier work. The application of the measuring technique to other materials is suggested.