Poly(p-phenylene) and acrylic elastomer blends for electroactive application

Polymer blends between poly(p-phenylene) PPP and an acrylic rubber (Nipol AR71) were fabricated in order to tailor their electromechanical properties towards electroactive applications. Experiments were carried under the oscillatory shear mode and with applied electric field strength varying from 0 to 2 kV/mm. The dynamic moduli, G′ and G″, of the pure AR71 depend on the temperature and electric field strength; the storage modulus (G′) monotonically increase with increasing electric field. The storage modulus sensitivity ( Δ G ′ / G ′ 0 ) increases with electric field strength and attains maximum values of 62% at the E = 2 kV/mm. For the polymer blends with the undoped particle concentrations of 5, 10, 20, 25, 30 and 40 vol.%, the dynamic moduli, G′ and G″ of each blend, are higher than those of pure AR71. Their storage modulus sensitivity ( Δ G ′ / G ′ 0 ) increases with electric field strength; it attains a maximum value about 97% at E = 2 kV/mm. The effect of temperature, on electrorheological properties of pure AR71 and polymer blends, is studied between 27 and 77 °C. The storage modulus increases linearly with temperature with the slope proportional to the effective strand density.