Improving the Processability of Conductive Polymers: The Case of Polyaniline

Abstract

Abstract Polyaniline (PANI) is one of the most widely used conductive polymers because of its ease of synthesis in addition to its good electrical properties. However, the difficulty in its processability limits its potential applications. In this work, conductive emeraldine salt (i.e., one of the different oxidation states of PANI) was synthesized by oxidative chemical polymerization. Different techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and dynamical mechanical thermal analysis were used to characterize the synthesized PANI. The processability of PANI has been improved by processing it, both by compression and extrusion methods, with different thermoplastic matrices such as polycaprolactone and polybutylene terephthalate. The obtained compounds have not only better processability but also improved thermal and mechanical properties. However, their conductivity decreases with respect to PANI, to a greater extent, for the compounds synthesized by the extrusion method. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Techn 32: E180–E188, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com . DOI 10.1002/adv.21261