ELECTROPOLYMERIZATION OF ANILINE ON CONDUCTIVE VULCANIZATES AND CHARGE DISCHARGE PROPERTIES

To obtain electrode materials with good charge-discharge properties, t he electrochemical polymerization of aniline on condUCtive vulcanizate s containing Ketjin black was investigated along with the charge-disch arge properties of these materials. When EPDM vulcanizates containing Ketjin black greater than 20 phr were used as working electrodes, the polymerization of aniline occurred easily and conductive laminates of vulcanizate and polyaniline were obtained. This required an EPDM vulca nizate conductivity of more than 0.1 S/cm. The selection of elastomers and solvents for the electrochemical reaction is important. A combina tion of EPDM and water solvent was found to be suitable for the electr ochemical polymerization of aniline. Polyaniline products on vulcaniza te electrodes had lower film densities than polypyrrole products, and exhibited greater adhesion to the vulcanizates than to Pt electrodes. Li battery cells, using these polyaniline vulcanizate electrodes, poss essed remarkably higher charge-discharge capacity and greater cycles l ife than the polyaniline Pt electrode. The vulcanizate electrode retai ned good charge-discharge properties even at a current density exceedi ng 1.0 mA/cm2.