Natural Brazilian Amazonic (Curauá) Fibers Modified with Polyaniline Nanoparticles

Abstract

Abstract The surface of natural Brazilian amazonic fibers (curauá, Ananas erectifolius ) was modified with polyaniline nanoparticles, through in situ preparation of polyaniline nanoparticles in presence of the curauá fibers. This allowed for a significant increase in the electrical conductivity of the fibers (≈2 500 times). As the electrical resistivity of the modified fibers is a function of the applied external pressure, the produced composites can be used as a cheap pressure‐sensing material. The modified materials were also characterized by FT‐IR, XPS and SAXS, and the obtained results were used to explain some of the observed characteristics of the materials. magnified image