Time Dependent Conductivity of Low Density Polyethylene

The time independent conductivity of Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) is useful in determining rates of conductivity based on intrinsic properties of a material. A simple, yet elegant, parallel plate capacitor setup allowed for data collection which extended beyond 170 hours. Through precise measurements the different stages of charge distribution were determined to the level of 300E-16 A. Through the use of data analysis programs the dielectric constant and dispersion constant were both determined for LDPE and then compared with a simple, macroscopic, first-principles model to determine the quality of the fit.