Compatibilization of polyethylene/polyaniline blends with polyethylene-graft-maleic anhydride

The use of compatibilizers as interfacial agents in composites can offer a convenient way to improve the mechanical properties of immiscible polymer blends. The aim of this article is to illustrate the compatibilization effect of polyethylene-graft-maleic anhydride (PEgMA) in blends of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and n-dodecylbenzene sulfonate doped polyaniline (PANIDBSA) prepared by extrusion. Films with different compositions of the coupling agent were evaluated with optical spectroscopy and thermomechanical, electrical, mechanical, and morphological techniques. The incorporation of PEgMA into the LDPE/PANIDBSA composites resulted in an improvement of their electrical conductivity and changes in the mechanical and morphological properties of the films. When 5 wt % of the coupling agent was added to a 30 wt % of the polyaniline-containing film, the conductivity increased by more than three orders of magnitude, and the ductility also improved qualitatively. The morphology analysis also indicated that the addition of PEgMA produced a strengthening of the filler-matrix interfacial region. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.