Thermal transport in chemically doped polyaniline materials

Simultaneous measurements of effective thermal conductivity (lambda(e)) and effective thermal diffusivity (chi(e)) of four samples SI (polyaniline mixed with 100% Ni), S2 (polyaniline mixed with 90% Ni and 10% Al), S3 (polyaniline mixed with 80% Ni and 20% AI) and S4 (polyaniline mixed with 70% Ni and 30% Al) of polyaniline mix with metal Ni and Al in different percentage have been made using transient plane source technique. In the temperature range from room temperature to 170 degreesC. Both lambda(e) and chi(e) increase with increase in temperature. Addition of aluminium concentration at the cost of nickel in the composite increases the value of lambda(e) and chi(e) over the entire range of temperature under investigation. It has been found that the values of lambda(e) and chi(e) are maximum when 70% of Ni and 30% of Al are mixed in polyaniline matrix. This behaviour is also predicted by an empirical relation, which is obtained from polynomial fit of the experimental data and is explained on the basis of bond formation between metal (Ni and Al) and nitrogen of polyaniline matrix. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.