Coatings of Polyaniline Composites in Conductive/Dissipative/Antistatic Range for <scp>ESD</scp> Application

ABSTRACT Presently available electrostatic discharge (ESD) materials, which are made up of hybrid insulating polymers containing carbon, metal, and semiconductors, often fail to meet performance standards. To overcome the present problems, ESD coatings using aqueous dispersions of polyaniline (PANI) salts synthesized via polymerization of aniline in the presence of p‐toluene sulfonic acid (PTSA) or dodecyl benzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) using an oxidizing agent of ammonium persulfate or manganese dioxide are synthesized. These synthesized polyaniline salts are characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), x‐ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and resistivity measurements. The coatings demonstrated excellent adherence to glass, paper, stainless steel, and aluminum substrates, with surface resistance values ranging from 10 1 to 10 7 Ω/sq., making them suitable for ESD applications. Thermal investigation confirmed stability up to 290°C, while FESEM showed homogenous nanorod structures with dimensions ranging from 80 to 140 nm in width and 230–315 nm in length, depending on the formulation. Cyclic voltammetry indicated significant electrochemical activity, with polyaniline prepared in PVA medium exhibiting the greatest specific capacitance of 960 F g −1 . These results highlight the potential of PANI‐based dispersions as effective and stable ESD coatings.