Synthesis and characterization of PANI/P‐2M conductive composites: Thermal, rheological, mechanical, and electrical properties

Abstract In this article, a new conductive thermosetting resin system was developed using Polyaniline with 2‐Methacryloyloxyethyl acid phosphate (P‐2 M) as a dopant. The resin has shown better steady state viscosity and enhanced mechanical properties as high as 3 ± 0.8 GPa as compared to our previously developed resin system of PANI‐DBSA. A DSC analysis was conducted to estimate the activation energy and the exact amount of energy for doping and curing process of the resin. The resin was synthesized with various wt% of PANI and each combination was characterized in detail. As the amount of PANI was increased, the electrical conductivity significantly enhanced. The maximum electrical conductivity obtained is 0.5 S/m, which is lower than other conductive resins but is many orders higher than epoxy resin. The uncured resin was studied for its viscosity change with shear rate and the constitution of PANI in the resin and we obtained a desirable steady‐state viscosity of the resin. Thus, the newly developed resin with efficient steady state viscosity in the favorable range, optimized electrical conductivity, and superior mechanical properties, can be applied into CFRP fabrication.