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Chemical sensing materials II: Electrically conductive peroxide crosslinked SEBS copolymers systems
Author(s) -
Pavlovsky S.,
Siegmann A.
Publication year - 2009
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.30738
Subject(s) - materials science , copolymer , composite material , percolation threshold , compression molding , polymer chemistry , peroxide , polymer , chemical engineering , electrical resistivity and conductivity , chemistry , organic chemistry , mold , engineering , electrical engineering
Chemical sensing materials based on electrically conductive styrene–ethylene butylene–styrene (SEBS) triblock‐copolymers systems were investigated. Systems based on crosslinked rather than thermoplastic SEBS systems can be exposed to a wide range of chemical environments. Composites of SEBS containing various amounts of CB and Varox DBPH (peroxide crosslinking agent) were prepared by blending at relative low temperatures, limiting the peroxide activation, and then compression molding at elevated temperatures. Samples containing CB at a level near the corresponding percolation threshold were used for the sensing experiments. Structure characterization included crosslink level and density, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and calorimetry (DSC). The crosslinked SEBS composites exhibit large reversible changes in conductivity on exposure to various solvents and air drying cycles The observed electrical conductivity changes on solvent sorption/desorption is based on the polymer reversible swelling, resulting in breakdown and reconstruction of conductive CB networks, respectively. Sensing performance depends mainly on the solvents solubility parameter and volatility. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009