Conducting polyaniline-wrapped sepiolite composite and its stimuli-response under applied electric fields

Conducting polyaniline (PANI)-wrapped sepiolite (SPL) composites were prepared using an in situ oxidative polymerization process and evaluated as a potential electrorheological (ER) material. The morphology of both SPL and the PANI/SPL composite were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The synthesized PANI/SPL composite was also analyzed by physisorption analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Their ER properties when dispersed in silicone oil were investigated using a rotational rheometer under different applied electric field strengths, and their shear stresses could be fitted well using the Cho-Choi-Jhon modelequation. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.