ABSTRACT
In this study, we analysed the characteristics of eggshell powder (ESP)-filled polyaniline (PANI) composites. Raw material eggshells were dried in an oven and blended into a powder. 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone was added to PANI powder to produce a PANI solution, and activated charcoal powder was then added. The solution was placed into a heating mantle with a controlled temperature until a uniform solution was produced. The resultant conductive polymer was then analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results of these analyses show that PANI-ESP did not undergo a chemical structural change. The only interaction that occurred was between the filler reinforced with carbon black (CB) and the matrix. The structure of the composite was a face centred cubic (FCC) structure with an average lattice parameter of 0.72 nm. The surface morphology of the composites shows that agglomeration occurred to complete the connection of the conductive path, thus improving the conductivity behaviour. The conductivity of the PANI-ESP composite was also studied and measured in situ during the mixing process.
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