Polyester fibers with polypyrrole

The Miliken Research Corporation developed a method to coat polyester fibers with polypyrrole by direct deposition using controlled surface polymerization [76,77]. The coating method involves the use of anionic surfactants, such as 1,5-naphtalenedisulfonate or 5-sulfosalicylate. These composite fibers were characterized in detail in a joint study involving researchers from ICI Advanced Materials, Courtaulds Research and the School of Chemistry of Sussex [78]. 

The in situ polymerization of pyrrole is relatively independent of the substrate. Fabrics produced by inserting a variety of yarns of equal mass into the fill direction and subsequently coated with polypyrrole show only small variations in conductance. Differences in conductance can be seen, however, if the yarn bundle is significantly different in surface area or hydrophobicity (Milli-ken Research Corp., unpublished). Surface polarity may also have an effect on the adhesion of the conducting polymer to the surface of the fiber. Porous fibers produced from polyacrylonitrile or nylon may provide better sites for anchoring to the substrates than more dense crystalline structures such as polyester. Fibers that lack polar groups, such as polyethylene or tetrafluoroethyl-ene, make it more difficult to achieve proper adhesion. Relatively little work has been reported in this field, but generally good adhesion has been observed [44,45]. 

---