Microwave Characteristics of Polyaniline Based Short Fiber Reinforced Chloroprene Rubber Composites

Abstract

This report presents the microwave characteristics of conducting polymer composites (CPCs) based on chloroprene rubber with special reference to dielectric properties. CPCs based on polyaniline (PANI), polyaniline-coated short nylon fiber (PANI-N) and chloroprene rubber (CR) were prepared by mechanical mixing. The important properties like dielectric permittivity, loss tangent, conductivity, and dielectric heating coefficient were evaluated and compared. It was found that PANI/CR composites had very good dielectric properties in the microwave range. The addition of PANI-N improved the mechanical properties of the composites with reasonably good dielectric properties. The CPCs were also found to have good microwave absorption.

Keywords:

• Composites
• Conducting polymers
• Dielectric properties
• Elastomers
• Fibers

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors gratefully acknowledge Mr. Deepu and Mr. Sujith of CREAMA of the Dept. of Electronics, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala, India for the microwave measurements.

Notes

^a Parts per hundred parts rubber.

^b PANI coated fiber.

All the mixes contain Stearic acid-1 phr and DCP-3 phr.

Present address for Saritha Chandran A.: Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, St. Teresa's College, Ernakulam, Kerala, India – 682 011. E-mail: [email protected]