Design of a Low-Cost PMMA/PVAc/PANI Blended Polymers: Structural, Electrical and Dielectric Characteristics

Abstract

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)/polyvinyl acetate (PVAc)/tetra-n-butylammonium iodide (TBAI)/ x wt % polyaniline (PANI) blended polymers are fabricated using the casting method to operate in energy storage purposes. The structure and morphology of the created blends were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques. XRD analysis displayed that the semicrystalline behavior of the polymer blend is unaffected by doping. At 293 K and 100 Hz, the dielectric constant decreased from 22.7 (undoped) to 14.04–21.7 depended on the amount of PANI in the doped blend. The greatest energy density ( U ) values were reported in the blend with x = 0.33; U = 0.00469 J m −3 at 293 K and 100 Hz. Increasing the temperature also improves the U values for all blends. The U values of the doped blends with x = 0.11, 0.22, and 0.33 showed an impressive rise relative to the undoped blend. In the low and intermediate frequency ranges, the ac c onductivity increased in the blend with x = 0.44. The correlated barrier hopping (CBH) model was used to describe the electric mechanism of all blends. The influence of the quantity of PANI doping and temperature on electrical impedance spectroscopy, electric modulus, and relaxation time was investigated. A doped blend with x = 0.44 exhibited the greatest dc conductivity; at 343 K. the dc conductivity was increased from 2.477 × 10 −8 S m −1 (undoped) to 1.086 × 10 −5 S m −1 (x = 0.44). The activation energies ( E a ) for undoped blends varied between 1.36 eV and 1.01 eV based on the temperature range. The amount of PANI added to the host blend controlled the values of E a in all samples.