THE EFFECT OF POLYPYRROLE LOADING ON THE ELECTRORHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF POLYPYRROLE/SBA-15 SUSPENSIONS.

Encapsulated polypyrrole (PPy) with different amount in the channels of mesoporous silica (SBA-15) was synthesized. The XRD and N₂ adsorption/desorption isotherms analysis show that PPy with different loadings in the channels does not affect the ordered hexagonal structure of resultant PPy/SBA-15 nanocomposites. Further, the electrorheological (ER) properties of the nanocomposites with different PPy loadings were investigated by steady and oscillatory shear experiments. The results reveal that PPy/SBA-15 fluids exhibit typical ER and viscoelastic behavior under the applied electric field and ER response depends mainly on PPy loadings and there is an optimum PPy loading for strong ER effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]