Development of electroconductive polyacrylonitrile fibers through chemical metallization and galvanisation

• Published in: Journal of applied electrochemistry 2006-04, Vol.36 (4), p.411-418
• Main Authors: AKBAROV, Djamal, BAYMURATOV, Bakhodir, WESTBROEK, Philippe, AKBAROV, Rustam, DECLERCK, Karen, KIEKENS, Paul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polymers with particular properties; Preparation, kinetics, thermodynamics, mechanism and catalysts
• ISSN: 0021-891X; 1572-8838
• DOI: 10.1007/s10800-005-9085-8

The paper describes the modification of PAN fibres with metallic nickel in order to give the fibre electroconductive properties. This is achieved by two consecutively executed processes. The first process is chemical metallization, involving the immersion of the PAN fibres in a bath containing 0.5 mol 1-1 NiC12 and 1.5 mol 1-1 Rongalite at pH = 5.5 and T= 288-293 K. Ni(II) is absorbed in the structure of the fibre and adsorbed at the surface through a complex reaction with the cyanide and carboxylic acid groups present in the PAN chemical structure and the Rongalite reduces the adsorbed Ni(II) to metallic Ni. The second process is galvanisation of the Ni-containing PAN surface (the Ni particles present at the surface form a "seed" layer) in an electrolyte bath using an electrolyte with 150 g 1-1 of NiSO4 at pH 5-6 and room temperature. The resulting fibre showed a specific electrical resistance of the order of 10-6 92 m, which is a promising result.