CHEMICALLY-MODIFIED POLYANILINE AS A NEW CONDUCTING FILLER FOR POLYMER COMPOSITES

Polyaniline (PANI) is a  potential  filler in polymer composites with antistatic properties. As an intrinsic conducting polymer, PANI may be an alternative for carbons and metals. It is lighter than metals and shows better chemical affinity to traditional polymers than carbon allotropes. After modification, it may be incorporated into the matrix and thus helps to avoid the accumulation of static electricity in insulating polymers. In this research, insulating epoxy resin was filled with chemically-modified polyaniline and compared with classical fillers. Measurements of resistivity, thermal analysis and SEM observations were also conducted.