OBSERVED ANISOTROPIES IN STRETCH ORIENTED POLYANILINE

Free standing films of the emeraldine base form of polyaniline have been oriented via the application of uniaxial stress. The films have been elongated to a maximum of 650%. When doped with hydrochloric acid such oriented films show conductivities up to 350 Scm-1, and maximal electrical anisotropy of 24:1. Optical reflectivity experiments have shown a metallic behaviour to the optical properties of these films although the observed optical anisotropy is not as large as the electrical anisotropy of the films. For the first time the intrinsic physical properties are becoming manifest in polyaniline.