In the context of the above, the inclusion of PAni nanofiber
into hyperbranched poly(ester amide) resin (HBPEA)an
eminent group of polymers11 which has occupied an unique
niche in the domain of advanced polymeric materials
synergistically brings remarkable improvement in the material
properties over those of the pristine polymer. It is pertinent to
mention here that hyperbranched polymers have captivated
copious interest in recent years owing to the presence of large
numbers of functionality, three-dimensional unique structural
architectures, low melt and solution viscosity, high reactivity,
high compatibilizing ability with others, and so on over their
linear analogues. All of these characteristics have profound
influence on processing and the ultimate performance of such
polymers.12 In an attempt to pursue the dictates of green
chemistry, castor oil (Ricinus communis) has proved to be a unique feedstock and a valuable input in the midst of different
nonedible vegetable oils for the synthesis of the HBPEA
because of its many advantages including the presence of a very
high percentage (90−95 wt %) of ricinoleic acid.13 A perusal of
the literature has shown that the preparation of biobased
HBPEA/PAni nanofiber nanocomposites has never been
attempted, which provoked us to initiate the present study.
In this study, the authors wish to report the preparation and
characterization of castor oil based HBPEA/PAni nanofiber
nanocomposites. The authors also attempted to analyze the
sheet resistance of the nanocomposites at different nanofiber
loadings of 5, 7.5, 10, and 12.5 wt % and tried to corroborate
the anisotropy in the surface morphology of the nanocomposites.
Further, the mechanical properties, thermal
behavior, and rheological behavior of the nanocomposites
were also delved into.