Electrical conductivity studies of swift heavy ion modified PVC and PVC–PANI composite

The physico-chemical changes brought about by swift heavy ions of silicon and nickel in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are discussed in terms of optical, electrical and chemical modifications. The electrical conductivity of the polyvinyl chloride, both in independent form as well as in blended form, increases with the increase in the ion fluence and the mass of the swift heavy ions. It was further observed that under the present experimental conditions, PVC did not have any significant influence on the electrical conductivity of PVC–PANI blend. The present work shows that swift heavy ion modification technique under limited conditions could be utilized for increasing the conductivity of insulating polymer conducting polymer (IPCP) blends.