DEVELOPMENT OF POLYPROPYLENE COMPOSITES WITH GOOD ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY AND HIGH DIELECTRIC CONSTANT

Abstract

Polythiophene (PTH) with high electrical conductivity was prepared by oxidative polymerization using FeCl3 and characterized by FTIR, XRD, thermal analysis and conductivity measurement. The synthesized PTH was used to prepare conducting composites based on polypropylene (PP). Electrical, thermal, mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties were studied. An exponential increase of conductivity with respect to PTH content was observed in the composites, indicating the formation of a continuous conducting network. PTH improved the modulus of the composites while decreasing the tensile strength. The composite containing PTH showed higher thermal stability and exceptional dielectric constant. The study was successful in converting a commercial general purpose thermoplastic polymer into a composite suitable for capacitor applications.