Conductive polyaniline/polyacrylonitrile composite fibers: Effect of synthesis parameters on polyaniline content and electrical surface resistivity

Abstract Conductive polyaniline/polyacrylonitrile (PAn/PAN) composite fibers were prepared by keeping PAN fibers in various solutions containing aniline and then by polymerization of aniline sorbed by fibers with potassium dichromate as an oxidant. In examined polymerization media, aqueous HCl gave composite fibers with the highest PAn amount and these fibers also had the lowest electrical surface resistivity. It was found that, as PAn content of PAn/PAN composite fibers increased, its density also increased and mechanical properties such as tensile strength and breaking elongation decreased. From optical cross‐section images of composite fibers, it was observed that PAn coating was limited only with the PAN fiber surface. POLYM. COMPOS., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers