Conducting blends of polyaniline with conventional polymers

Phosphoric acid diesters effectively protonate polyaniline and simultaneously plasticize it. This plasticized polyaniline can be processed either by thermal methods or from solution. It can serve, therefore, as a conducting additive to common polymers, such as poly(vinyl chloride), polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate) and cellulose derivatives. In each case only few wt. % of polyaniline is needed to render a conductive blend. Microprobe studies and scanning electron microscopy show uniform distribution of polyaniline/diester in the polymer matrix. The conductivity of the blends ranges between 10-2 and 10 S/cm, and the mechanical properties are those of the non-conducting matrix. Thermally processable blends of PVC, having very good mechanical properties, were prepared by mechanical mixing with plasticized polyaniline, while those of PMMA, PS or cellulose derivatives were cast from solutions.