An experimental investigation of electrical conductivities in biopolymers

[摘要] Gum arabica obtained from acacia plant is a conducting biopolymer. Experiments are carried out on this natural gum arabica. In the present study TGA, ion transference number, transient ionic current, thermal analysis, frequency and temperature variation of a.c. conductivity, Arrhenius plot and voltâ€�?�ampere characteristics of specimens are carried out. The total electrical conductivity of these biopolymers are comparable to that of synthetic polymers doped with inorganic salts. The ion transference number of these biopolymers show their superionic nature of electrical conduction. The overall conduction mechanism seems to be protonic in nature rather than electronic one.

[学科分类] 材料工程

[关键词] Biopolymer;protonic;gum arabica;ion transference number;electrical conductivity;solid protonic conductor.