Polyaniline Chromium Nitrate Composites: Influence of Chromium Nitrate on Conductivity and Thermal Stability of Polyaniline

Abstract

Thermal stability and electrical conductivity are the key to the technological feasibility and sustainability of conducting polymers (CPs) and their composites in real-time applications. Notably, the impact of filler loading on above mentioned parameters of CPs needs to be examined and addressed with facile and easily accessible techniques. In the present study, Polyaniline (PANI) /chromium nitrate composites have been prepared via in situ polymerization of aniline through the chemical oxidative polymerization route. After that, the conductivity and thermal stability of PANI have been investigated at different weight percentage loadings of chromium nitrate viz 5, 10, 20, and 40 % in the composite materials. The morphological and structural analysis of the pristine and composite samples were executed with Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Thermal analysis of proposed composites is carried out using the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) method to evaluate various kinetic parameters. The TGA thermogram and different calculated parameters revealed that the composites were more thermally stable than pristine PANI and that the composite having 20 wt % of chromium nitrate is thermally the most stable. The DC electrical conductivity data shows that PANI loaded with 20% chromium nitrate has the highest conductivity. This increment in conductivity and thermal stability of the composites opens the path for many applications, such as sensors and electronics.