Electrorheology of Suspensions of Variously Protonated Polyaniline Particles under Steady and Oscillatory Shear

Abstract

Electrorheological (ER) and dielectric properties of silicone-oil suspensions of polyaniline (PANI) particles protonated with phosphoric and tetrafluoroboric acids to various doping level have been investigated. The particle conductivity was thus varied between the order of 10-9 S/cm and 10-4 S/cm. The dynamic yield stresses obtained at controlled shear rate mode viscometry, the storage moduli from the oscillatory shear experiments and the dielectric relaxation times from frequency dependences of dielectric constant and loss factor were used as criteria of rigidity or elasticity of ER structures and particle mobility in the electric field. The conductivity of suspension particles plays a decisive role in their ER behaviour. The ER efficiency increased as conductivity of dispersed particles raised, irrespective of the type of employed acid used for the protonation of PANI.

Keywords

• polyaniline
• electrorheology
• steady shear
• oscillatory mode
• protonation