ABSTRACT Blending is a promising approach, in the conducting polymer field, for taking advantage of the good mechanical properties and processability of conventional polymers and of the electroactive properties of such conjugated polymers. The challenge of producing blends with conducting polymers has been studied by many researchers in the last years. Several approaches have been used to prepare these blends such as, electrochemical deposition, in situ chemical polymerization, powder dispersion, melt blending and solution blending. Among the conducting polymers, blends with polyanilines have obtained the greatest technological importance due to the remarkable properties of such conductive polymer namely, easy of synthesis and doping, environmental stability, solubility and processability. In this work, we present a brief review of the literature in this topic and the influence of important parameters of blend preparation from solution (such as solvent, dopant, doping level, composition, casting temperature and time) on the conductivity and other characteristics of blends of polyanilines and its derivatives with poly (vinylidene fluoride) and poly(styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene) triblock copolymer. The quality and conductivity of the blends depend significantly on the solvent, dopant and preparation conditions. Flexible, free-standing films cap be obtained in optimized conditions. These blends can exhibit electrical conductivity in a wide range (10-12 - 5 S/cm) without definition of a percolation threshold. Also, the blend composition has a great influence on the morphology and crystalline structure of the films obtained. Other results, such as the successful preparation of elastomeric conductive blends will be discussed and some properties exhibited by these systems presented.
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