Short carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin/polyaniline blends: their electrical and mechanical properties

A polyaniline salt was mixed with epoxy resin aiming at the preparation of electrically conductive polymer blends. Furthermore, short carbon fibers (SCF) were added to these blends, which led to the enhancement of their electrical and mechanical properties. A centrifugation technique was used in order to create graded distributions of SCF in the polymeric matrix. The movement of the particles under the centrifugal force was studied, and the resulting distribution profiles were estimated. The electrical properties of the materials showed the tendency to change gradually as the content of the conductive filler also changed across this direction. Moreover, characterization of the mechanical properties of the graded structures proved that they also exhibited graded profiles across the sample thickness.