Study of Mechanical and Electrical properties of PMMA/PANI/Hexaferrites Nanocomposites

Abstract

The hybrid polymer nanocomposite based on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyaniline (PANI) and M-type barium hexaferrite nanoparticles were prepared using solution casting method. Polyaniline doped with HCl was synthesized by oxidative polymerization of aniline in HCl while barium hexaferrite nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical co-precipitation method. X-ray diffraction confirmed the formation of hexagonal phase and the size of barium hexaferrite lied in the range of 20-30nm measured by SEM. Two sets of systems were prepared: in the first set PMMA/barium hexaferrite nanocomposites are made by varying the barium hexaferrite concentration from 5 to 15 wt%. In the second set PMMA/PANI/barium hexaferrite hybrid nanocomposites were prepared in which PANI concentration was kept 10 wt% and barium hexaferrite was varied from 5 to 15 wt%. The mechanical and dielectric properties of the hybrid polymer nanocomposites were investigated using universal tensile machine (UTM) and impedance analyzer. In nanocomposites of PMMA/barium hexaferrite, the mechanical properties specifically the tensile strength and modulus were reduced as compared to pure PMMA. While for hybrid nanocomposites of PMMA/PANI/barium hexaferrite, the tensile strength and modulus were increased clearly indicating that presence of PANI improves the dispersion of barium hexaferrite as well as its wetting with the PMMA matrix. Similarly, dielectric properties of the hybrid polymer nanocomposites of PMMA/PANI/barium hexaferrite are much higher than PMMA/barium hexaferrite nanocomposites owing to the addition of conductive phase of PANI in the system.