Fabrication and characterization of water-based polyurethane/polyaniline conducting blend films

This study describes the fabrication and properties of water-based polyurethane/polyaniline (WPU/PANDB) conducting blend films. Conducting polyaniline doped by dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (DBSA) is prepared by using chemical oxidation polymerization. Conducting polyaniline doped by DBSA (PANDB) is then blended with WPU dispersion to form WPU/PANDB conducting blend coating. The conducting blend coating is then applied on a poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) film and dried to form WPU/PANDB conducting blend film. Next, the thermal, chemical, morphological, and electrical properties of WPU/PANDB conducting blend films are discussed. Electrical analysis results indicate that electrical conductivity of the WPU/PANDB blend film increases when increasing the PANDB content. Additionally, according to attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) analysis, hydrogen bonding forms between the NH of PANDB and the CO of WPU. Meanwhile, in view of the onset degradation temperature in TGA thermographs, the thermal stabilities of all WPU/PANDB conducting blend films increase when increasing the PANDB content. The resulting WPU/PANDB conducting films can be used as anticorrosive, antistatic, electrostatic discharge (ESD), and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials.