A PYROLYSIS MASS-SPECTROMETRY STUDY OF POLYTHIOPHENE NATURAL-RUBBER AND POLYTHIOPHENE SYNTHETIC RUBBER CONDUCTING POLYMER COMPOSITES

The thermal behaviors and degradation products of conducting polymer c omposites prepared by electrooxidation of thiophene using natural rubb er or synthetic rubber as the insulating matrix were studied by direct and indirect mass spectrometry techniques. The pyrolysis mass data re vealed that a chemical interaction formed between the components of th e composites during polymerization. Thermal characteristics of rubbers totally disappeared in the composites indicating presence of some cha in scissions leading to degradation of rubbers during electrooxidative polymerization. The multiscan cyclic voltammetry runs showed that pol ythiophene is also electroactive on the rubber coated metal electrodes , with a small shift in the redox peaks compared to the one on the bar e electrode.