PLASTIC conducting electricity !!!

[vrus]

I heard ages ago that plastic could conduct electricity, but only recently someone gave me a vague description of how. The Plastic chain has an alternating pattern of double and single bonds. So it goes like :-

 

C=H, then C-H, then C=H, then C-H and so on .............

 

Apparently, the electrons between the double and single bond are shared. So the charge passes through.

 

Can someone give a more detailed explanation ???

[akcapr]

i kno that like plastic spoons and forks can conduct it

[H2SO4]

Ive never heard of any plastic conduction electricity. MAybe plastic that has alot of metal powder mixed in with it.

[YT2095]

or carbon powder or fiber, but not Plastic as in the long chain hydrocarbon polymers, never heard of it either.

 

although Plasic does have a Dielectric constant, that`s NOT the same as Conduction.

[Lance]

As YT stated black plastic may contain carbon powder which will make it conductive. If you heat it up it can also carbonize.

[akcapr]

disposable spoons can conduct electrcity- they are semiconductors.

[Lance]

disposable spoons can conduct electrcity- they are semiconductors.

 

Uh.... Could you state your source please?

[akcapr]

i saw a picture in scientific american of a spoon hooked to a coffe cup with wires and then to batteries and then to a bulb (conneted all with wires) and the curcuit was complete and the bulb was lit.

[YT2095]

what a complete load of twaddle!

 

I think you`re somewhat confused as to what exactly was being done, or it was April 1`st

[Skye]

I heard ages ago that plastic could conduct electricity' date=' but only recently someone gave me a vague description of how. The Plastic chain has an alternating pattern of double and single bonds. So it goes like :-

 

C=H, then C-H, then C=H, then C-H and so on .............

 

Apparently, the electrons between the double and single bond are shared. So the charge passes through.

 

Can someone give a more detailed explanation ???[/quote']

I don't think many plastics are conjugated (having alternating double and single bonds...=CH-CH=CH-CH=CH-CH=...). The monomers have double bonds but these are lost during polymerisation.

 

Electrons can travel through a conjugated molecule fairly efficiently though, but not between molecules. So the materials don't conduct electricity so well, unless you have a continuous lattice of conjugated carbons, such as in graphite.

 

There are organic electronics being developed, this is a very active area of research in organic chemistry now. It is supported by major companies such as IBM and Xerox , so it is fairly likely to become a widespread technology. Mainly because of lower production costs.

[Lance]

i saw a picture in scientific american of a spoon hooked to a coffe cup with wires and then to batteries and then to a bulb (conneted all with wires) and the curcuit was complete and the bulb was lit.

 

 

No, that's not a normal spoon. That's some weird semiconductor plastic that may or may not exist. It is not used to make spoons nor will it ever.

 

(the source you didnt bother looking for:http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=00092A1C-CCFB-10FA-89FB83414B7F0000)

[YT2095]

aha! after reading that web article I was right in my 1`st assesment, he was a little confused at what was actualy going on.

 

thnx Lance