SYNTHESIS OF POLYPYRROLE POLY(VINYL ALCOH OL) CONDUCTIVE COMPOSITE FOAM BY VAPOR-PHASE POLYMERIZATION

Electrically conductive composite materials of polypyrrole and poly(vi nyl alcohol) (PVA) foam were synthesized by vapor phase polymerization of pyrrole with PVA foam containing iron(III) salts as the oxidizing agents. Relationships between the reaction time and the amount of inco rporated polypyrrole and conductivity of the composite foam were inves tigated. Iron(III) chloride and perchlorate gave composites with highe r conductivity than those obtained by iron(III) sulfate and nitrate. H owever, iron(III) perchlorate gave hard and brittle composite, probabl y because of oxidation of PVA. Decrease of the reaction temperature to 0-degrees-C caused the content of polypyrrole to decrease, but the co nductivity of the composite increased. The conductivity decreased by a dsorption of water in the composite. The surface structures observed b y SEM were different for composites prepared by different oxidants.