Structural characteristics of chemical vapor polymerized polypyrrole/polycaprolactam fiber composites

• Published in: Polymer international 2006-01, Vol.55 (1), p.101-107
• Main Authors: Xiao, CF, Tao, XM, Leung, Sarah MY, Kwok, Keith WY
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; chemical vapor polymerization; Exact sciences and technology; fiber composites; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polymers with particular properties; polypyrrole; Preparation, kinetics, thermodynamics, mechanism and catalysts; structural characteristics
• ISSN: 0959-8103; 1097-0126
• DOI: 10.1002/pi.1925

Structural characteristics of polypyrrole (PPy)‐coated polycaprolactam (PA6) fiber composites prepared by chemical vapor deposition, in the presence of ferric chloride as the oxidizing agent, were investigated. A multi‐layered coating structure was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), where a compact and denser layer existed between the PPy and PA6 fibers with two diffused layers on each side of the denser layer. The compact layer had a thickness of 200–300 nm. The experimental results show that there was no chemical interaction between PPy and PA6 in the PPy‐coated PA6 fibers. However, there was a stronger interaction between PPy and PA6 molecules in the interphase of PPy‐coated PA6 fiber after heat treatment at elevated temperature. The surface morphology of PPy‐coated PA6 fibers changed with the application of different processing treatments, e.g. swelling and heat treatment. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry