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Conducting blends of poly( o ‐toluidine) and ethylene–propylene–diene terpolymer
Author(s) -
Ghosh Premamoy,
Kar Swarnendu B.,
Bhattacharyya Sanchita
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.12208
Subject(s) - materials science , epdm rubber , polymer blend , ethylene propylene rubber , polymer , polymer chemistry , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , natural rubber , thermogravimetry , composite material , copolymer , chemical engineering , engineering
Poly( o ‐toluidine) (POT) is an electroactive polymer with poor mechanical and thermal characteristics. We examined the scope for improving such properties by making blends of POT with ethylene–propylene–diene rubber (EPDM). We prepared POT–EPDM blends containing different weight fractions of POT by intimately mixing known volumes of separate solutions of the two polymers (POT in THF and EPDM in toluene). Films of EPDM and POT–EPDM blends in solution were obtained by spreading, solvent evaporation, and film casting techniques. POT, EPDM, and their blends were characterized in solution by ultraviolet‐visible spectroscopy, and the respective dried samples were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetry. The polymer samples were further analyzed morphologically by scanning electron microscopy, and their tensile strengths were also evaluated. Spectroscopic and thermal studies of the blends indicated some sort of interaction between the two constituent polymers. The direct current electrical conductivity of the blends in increasing order of POT loading (12.5–100%) was in the range 9.9 × 10 −5 to 11.6 × 10 −2 S cm −1 . © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 2550–2555, 2003