CONDUCTIVE POLYMERS IMITATE METALS.

A new class of materials that could make the plastic battery possible by 1990 is discussed, namely electrically conducting polymers. During the past ten years, researchers have learned that normally insulating polymers can be made conductive by doping them with small amounts of chemical impurities. There are now more than half a dozen of these polymers (also called plastic metals or synmetals) being developed, although their conductivities are still less than those of metals such as copper and aluminum. Conducting polymers may also prove useful in fabricating new types of photovoltaic cells, wire and cable, and other electrical devices. Besides weight reduction, the polymers are likely to be inexpensive, easily molded to convenient shapes, and plentiful.