The in situ polymerization of aniline in nitrile rubber

Electrically conductive elastomer blends based on polyaniline-dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (PAni.DBSA/nitrile rubber (NBR) was prepared by polymerization of aniline in the presence of NBR, using a direct, one-step in situ emulsion polymerization method in which DBSA played both roles of surfactant and dopant. At the same PAni content, the conductivity of the in situ emulsion-polymerized blends is higher than that of blends produced by mechanical mixing of both components. In addition, a more uniform morphology with the presence of PAni in the form of microtubules was achieved by the in situ process. Stronger interaction between the components were also confirmed by the presence of great amount of insoluble material in non-vulcanized blends, by Raman spectroscopy and rheological processing analysis (RPA).