Comparison between poly(methyl methacrylate)-carbon black and polyaniline conductive coatings

This work aims to develop and compare two types of conductive, polymer-based coatings via a dip coating process. The first type of coatings was made by dispersing and incorporating carbon black (CB) nanoparticles in a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) solution followed by dip coating. The CB content and dipping parameters were varied to explore their effects on the particle dispersion, coating thickness, and conductivity of the coatings. The dispersion of the CB particles in the polymer matrix was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the coating thickness and conductivity were measured with a surface profilometer and a four-point probe electrometer, respectively. The good dispersion of carbon nanoparticles in the PMMA matrix was observed in the coatings. The conductivity of the PMMA-CB composite coatings was found to be mainly affected by CB content, particle dispersion as well as coating thickness. On the other hand, polyaniline (PANI) was used to make conductive coatings by dip coating and doping, and the advantages and limitations of the PANI coatings were compared with the PMMA-CB coatings.