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Sustainable polypyrrole–rubber composite for conductive coatings
Researchers have developed a water-based polypyrrole/styrene-butadiene rubber composite that serves as a VOC-free, cost-effective and stable conductive latex. The coating shows strong potential for applications ranging from conductive inks to antistatic materials.
Conductive inks and coatings are key tools for creating flexible conductive pathways on insulating materials, with applications in chemical engineering, electronics and sensor technologies. Their broader industrial use, however, has been limited by complex production processes, expensive conductive fillers and the reliance on toxic solvents.
An international research team has now introduced a sustainable one-pot synthesis, combining polypyrrole (PPy) as the conductive filler and carboxylated styrene-butadiene rubber (XSBR) as the flexible binder. The result is a water-based, VOC-free latex that is storage-stable and requires no post-treatment.
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Conductivity and versatile applications
The XSBR/PPy composite can be applied via spraying to a wide variety of flat and curved substrates including plastics, glass, rubber and balloons. The resulting coatings reach a conductivity of approximately 2 × 10⁻³ S/cm while maintaining excellent surface adhesion.
Thanks to its low cost, ease of preparation and scalability, the composite latex offers strong potential as a conductive ink and antistatic material in polymer applications, representing a sustainable alternative to conventional solvent-based systems.
Source: Yin, L. et al., Polypyrrole/rubber composite latex as high-performance sustainable conductive coating. Prog. Org. Coat. 203, 109174 (2025).
