Structure and properties of melt-processed PVDF/PMMA/polyaniline blends

Ternary blends composed of the matrix polymer poly(vinylidene fluoride)(PVDF)and poly(methyl methacrylate)(PMMA)with different proportions of thermally dopedpolyaniline (PAni)using an alkylated dopant (dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid)(DBSA)were prepared by melt mixing. The effectiveness of these blends was compared with the corresponding binary blends of PVDF or PMMA with PAni-DBSA complex. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR)spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD)measurements, thermal analysis by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)and morphological studies by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)were carried out to characterize the blends in light of the interactions between their components and on the resulting electrical conductivity. Though a notable dispersion of PAni-DBSA in the PMMA matrix was incurred along with better conductivity with respect to PVDF/PAni-DBSA and PVDF/PMMA/PAni-DBSA blends, the thin films based on PMMA/PAni-DBSA were found to be fragile in nature. However, the presence of PMMA in the ternary blends of PVDF/PMMA/PAni-DBSA provided improved dispersion of PAni-DBSA in the PVDF/PMMA host matrix as compared to PVDF/PAni-DBSA binary blends.Anenhancement in the conductivityby abouttwo orders of magnitude at >5 wt