Models for Understanding Processing Properties of Intrinsically Conductive Polymers

Abstract

Since their discovery in 1977 the intrinsically conductive polymers (ICP) have been considered unprocessable. This implies a main drawback for applied research and potential applications.^1,2 The main characteristic of ICPs which lead scientists to this conclusion and earlier attempts to overcome unprocessability by chemical means have been reviewed in Reference 3. The aim of the research project which we started 1982 was nevertheless to find methods for processing unmolded ICP raw materials in powder form after polymerization either in pure form or in polymer blends. Our results have been published continuously,^4-9-17), indicating flow properties of the pure ICPs and-on the other side in heterogeneous polymer blends-dispersability and percolation behavior, provided that the chemical synthesis of the raw ICP powders leads to purer and morphologically more uniform products. In the meantime our research has created further new results which confirm our earlier findings and allow better processing results in homogeneous pure and heterogeneous polymer blend form. These results demand also a theoretical investigation in order to understand why ICP homopolymers now are processable despite the fact that their solubility and thermal properties have not been changed. Our present models for understanding processing properties of ICPs^8,10,11 will now be described. The Federal Ministry for Research and Technology (W. Germany) has also given support to parts of the project. Without these additional funds it would certainly not have been possible to achieve these results in such a relatively short space of time.