Blend films consisting of polyaniline in emeraldine base form (PANT EB) dispersed in partially crosslinked carboxymethylchitin (CM-chitin) were prepared by solution casting, and characterized for their physical, thermal, and electrical properties. Homogeneous and mechanically robust blend films were obtained having PANT EB contents up to 50 wt % in the CM-chitin matrix. FTIR spectra confirm intimate mixing of the two blend components. The thermal stability of the blend films increased with increase of PANT EB content, suggesting the formation of an intermolecular interaction, such as hydrogen bonding, between PANT EB and CM-chitin chains. The addition of PANT EB into the pure CM-chitin film resulted in a decrease in electrical conductivity of the films owing to disruption of ionic conduction of the CM-chitin structure. After doping the blend films by immersion in HCl solution, the electrical conductivity of the HCl-doped films increased with increase of the PANT EB content to a maximum value of the order of 10(-3) S/cm at 50 wt % PANT EB content. The electrical conductivity of the blend films was also dependent on the HCl concentration as well as on the type of acid dopant. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 116: 1626-1634, 2010.