Enhancement of the thermal stability of chemically synthesized polypyrrole

• Published in: Synthetic metals Vol. 84; no. 1; pp. 141 - 142
• Main Authors: Child, Andrew D., Kuhn, Hans H.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 1997; Amsterdam Elsevier Science; New York, NY
• Subjects: Applied sciences; conducting textiles; Exact sciences and technology; Fibers and threads; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Polymer industry, paints, wood; polypyrrole; Technology of polymers; thermal stability; polypyrrole; thermal stability; conducting textiles; Benzophenone derivatives; State of the art; Concentration effect; Ester polymer; Synthetic fiber; Phenols; Thermal stabilization; Electrical conductor; Fabric; Coated material; Pyrrole polymer
• ISSN: 0379-6779; 1879-3290
• DOI: 10.1016/S0379-6779(97)80684-4

Polypyrrole can be chemically synthesized in the presence of textiles to yield a conducting textile material where the polypyrrole forms a coherent layer on the textile substrate. The surface resistance of the textile can be controlled by altering the thickness of the polypyrrole coating. The incorporation of aromatic dopants, such as anthraquninone-2-sulfonic acid, results in an improvement in the thermal stability of these coatings as in the case of polypyrrole powders. Further dramatic increases in the thermal stability have been realized by the incorporation of small quantities of benzophenone-based stabilizing agents. During thermal aging, the conductivity of polypyrrole coated textile produced with these stabilizing agents initially increases and then decreases at a significantly lower rate than the control samples. The level of stability enhancement is dependent on the additive/pyrrole ratio in the reaction bath, and on the coating thickness. Analysis of the fabrics by SEM, DSC, UV/VIS/NIR spectroscopy, and by chemical means failed to confirm the presence of the additive in the final coating.