Fabrication of electric-stimuli responsive polyaniline/laponite composite and its viscoelastic and dielectric characteristics

• Polyaniline (PANI)/laponite composite was synthesized via an in-situ chemical oxidation polymerization.
• PANI/laponite composites were adopted for electrorheological (ER) application.
• PANI/laponite composite exhibited typical ER characteristics with a polarization model.

Polyaniline (PANI)/laponite composites were synthesized via an in-situ chemical oxidation polymerization process using ammonium persulfate as the oxidant in an aqueous solution. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the morphology of the synthesized composite. The chemical structure of the synthesized product was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The PANI/laponite composites, which were dedoped to a relatively low conductivity for the electrorheological (ER) measurements, possessed ER characteristics when dispersed in silicone oil at a volume fraction of 10%. The particle structures of the ER fluid under an electric field were analyzed by optical microscopy. The rheological properties, such as the shear viscosity, shear stress and yield stress, which were analyzed using a rotational rheometer under an applied electric field, exhibited typical ER characteristics with a polarization model.

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