A conductive rubber based on EPDM and polyaniline: I. Doping method effect

In this work a methodology is described to prepare blends of ethylene–propylene-diene (EPDM) rubber and polyaniline (PAni) by mechanical mixture. PAni was synthesized by chemical polymerization in a pilot-plant scale and doped with dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (PAni–DBSA). Different doping methods were used: solution, grinding in a mortar and reactive processing. PAni–DBSA acts simultaneously as reinforcement and conductive filler for EPDM rubber, independently of the doping method. Swelling measurements for blends showed that EPDM is partially soluble, evidencing partial interaction between the components. We show that a conductive rubber based on EPDM and PAni can be prepared by reactive processing without a crosslinking agent.