In situ polymerization of aniline was carried out in the presence of zinc ferrite to synthesize polyaniline/ZnFe(2)O(4) composites (PANI/ZnFe(2)O(4)) by chemical oxidation method. The composites have been synthesized with various compositions (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 wt %) of zinc ferrite in PANI. From the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) studies on polyaniline/ZnFe(2)O(4) composites, the peak at 1140 cm(-1) is considered to be measure of the degree of electron delocalization. The surface morphology of these composites was studied with scanning electron micrograph (SEM). The dc conductivity has been studied in the temperature range from 40-160 degrees C and supports the one-dimensional variable range hopping (1DVRH) model proposed by Mott. The results obtained for these composites are of scientific and technological interest. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 121: 262-266, 2011