Thermal Degradation of Poly(Vinyl Chloride)/Polyaniline Conducting Blends

A series of blends of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and polyaniline (PANI) was prepared by solution casting and investigated by methods of thermal analysis, namely thermogravimetric analysis (TG), coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-FT/IR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was found that the thermal stability of this polymer system depends on the composition of blend; the main product of prevailing PVC decomposition process — hydrogen chloride — seems to play specific role during degradation since it can react with PANI structures, characterized by different protonation degree. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.