CONTROL OF MICROWAVE REFLECTIVITIES OF POLYMER ELECTROLYTE-SILVER-POLYANILINE COMPOSITE-MATERIALS

Discs of composites of particular poly(aniline hydrochloride) or poly( aniline hydrotetrafluoroborate) and silver in a poly(ethylene oxide)-A gCF3SO3 polymer electrolyte were characterized using microwaves over t he frequency range 0.5-3.0 GHz in a coaxial line. The materials demons trated a rapid and reversible change in their microwave reflectivity w hen a de potential of 5 volts was applied across them. A coaxial line test set was used to observe changes of 15-20 dB in microwave reflecti vities and displacements of ca 0.25 GHz in the resonance condition. Th e observations are tentatively discussed in terms of reversible change s in conductivities of the particulate components and the capacitance within 'microcells' of polyaniline/polymer electrolyte/silver. (C) 199 8 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.