Melt processed electrically conductive binary and ternary immiscible polymer/polyaniline blends

In the present study, conductive binary and ternary blends of PANI with thermoplastic polymers were prepared by melt processing. The binary blends' investigation focused on the morphology and on the resulting electrical conductivity. Generally, the level of interaction between the doped PANI and the matrix polymer determines the blend morphology, and thus, its electrical conductivity. The morphology of a conductive network is described by a primary structure of small dispersed polyaniline particles, interconnected by secondary short range fine fibrillar structure. In blends containing a semicrystalline matrix the doped PANI network locates within the amorphous regions, leading to a reduction of the percolation concentration. The ternary blends' investigation focused on a system containing two co-continuous immiscible thermoplastic polymers and PANI. The PANI is preferably located in one of the matrix polymers. This concentration effect enables high electrical conductivities at low PANI contents.