SYNTHESIS, ELECTRICAL-PROPERTIES AND STABILITY OF POLYPYRROLE-CONTAINING CONDUCTING POLYMER COMPOSITES

Conducting polymer composites of polyethylene and polypyrrole (PE/PPy) , polypropylene and polypyrrole (PP/PPy) and poly(methyl methacrylate) and polypyrrole (PPMA/PPy) were prepared by means of a chemical modif ication method resulting in a network-like structure of polypyrrole em bedded in the insulating polymer matrix. The content of polypyrrole de termined by elemental analysis varied from 0.25 to 17 wt%. Electrical conductivity of compression-moulded samples depended on the concentrat ion of polypyrrole and reached values from 1 x 10(-11) to 1 S cm(-1). The morphology of the composites and blends was studied by low-voltage scanning electron microscopy. The stability of PP/PPy composites was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis and by conductivity measure ments during heating-cooling cycles. There was only a small drop in co nductivity caused by the annealing of PP/PPy composites in air at temp eratures up to 80 degrees C. The results of thermogravimetric analysis showed a stabilizing effect of PPy on PMMA/PPy composites against the rmal degradation. The antistatic properties of PMMA/PPy composites wer e demonstrated.