Plastic modified to meet electronic needs

Plastic modified to meet electronic needs
http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20070409-15314200-bc-us-plastic.xml

AUSTIN, Texas, April 9 (UPI) -- A U.S. scientist has modified a plastic so its ability to conduct electricity can be altered during manufacturing to meet future electronic device needs.

Yueh-Lin Loo, an assistant professor of chemical engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, conducted her research with a plastic called polyaniline, which could serve as flexible, inexpensive wiring in future products such as military camouflage that changes colors, foldable electronic displays and medical sensors.

By combining polyaniline with a chemical that gives it conductivity, Loo discovered she could increase the plastic's conductivity one- to six-fold based on the version of the chemical added.

The results of her research involving the chemical polymer acid appear in the April 7 issue of the Journal of Materials Chemistry.