Abstract
Percolative polyurethane composites utilizing surface modified paddy straw particles as filler and exhibiting enhanced dielectric constant and tensile strength, low dissipation and reduced water absorption have been presented. A thin coating of Polypyrrole (PPy) conducting polymer over paddy straw (St) micro particles was accomplished via vapour phase polymerization. Composites were prepared by using a lab scale twin-screw compounder and injection moulding system to mimic the actual industrial processing conditions. At 30 phr, PPy coated particles filled composites exhibited 133 % and 26 % increment in dielectric constant (13.61, 1 KHz) and tensile strength (58.3 MPa) respectively with reduced water absorption by 51.3 % (264 h) at room temperature as compared to their counterparts filled with uncoated particles. The successful preparation of these lightweight composites with improved performance paves the way for low cost, sustainable and eco-friendly materials for high end applications including electronics and sensors.
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