Simple chemical polymerization method for deposition of conducting polyaniline on surface of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene

A simple method of depositing a uniform layer of polyaniline (PANI) on the surface of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is described. The method consists of two steps, in which the first step is composed of soaking of ABS in aniline solution, and the second step consists of polymerization of aniline absorbed inside the ABS matrix by an oxidant. The ABS surface is seen to be completely masked by the PANI layer when it is coated from solution containing 10 or 15% of aniline. The surface resistance of the ABS plate, which is coated from a solution containing 15% aniline, shows resistance of 30 kΩ and rises up to 400 kΩ as concentration of aniline in the solution is decreased to 5%. From scanning electron micrographs, a granular growth of PANI is noticed on the ABS surface. Thermal gravimetry–mass spectroscopy data reveal that coating the ABS plate with PANI does not weaken an ABS matrix. The adherence of PANI on the ABS surface is explained on the basis of interaction between the aniline and cyano group from the acrylonitrile moiety of ABS. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 1904–1910, 2002