The preparation and performance of a polyaniline/graphene composite coated fabric

Abstract

Graphene was compounded with polyaniline to prepare a polyaniline/graphene composite coated fabric. The influence of the graphene on a series of properties of coated fabrics was discussed, and the results show that when the graphene content was 10 to 15% that of the polyaniline, the polarizing ability, loss ability and absorbing-attenuation ability of fabrics to electromagnetic waves were all stronger. As the coating thickness increases, the breaking strength and elongation at break of the fabric both showed an increase initially before decreasing; when the thickness was 0.5 mm, both fabrics were at their maximums, and the mechanical properties were at their best. The thermal decomposition temperature of the polyaniline/graphene composite coated fabric (411.3 °C) was higher than for the polyaniline coated fabric (402.9 °C) by 8.4 °C. The residue rate at 800 °C for the polyaniline/graphene composite coated fabric (18.83%) was larger than for the polyaniline coated fabric (14.17%) by 4.66%; the fabric had better thermal stability after the graphene was added. The graphene, with high thermal conductivity, was added to the polyaniline matrix as a filler, which can effectively fill the gaps between the polyaniline molecules, and an effective heat-conduction pathway forms and the heat-dissipation performance for the polyaniline/graphene composite coated fabric is improved. When the graphene content was 15% that of the polyaniline, the coefficient of thermal conductivity increases from 0.1011 W/mK to 0.1843 W/mK, an increase of nearly 82%.