The study of melt grafting mechanism of acrylic acid and butyl acrylate onto low density polyethylene and its application as internal plasticizer

Melt grafting of acrylic acid (AA) and butyl acrylate (BA) (equal molar ratios) onto low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) was carried out in Haake internal mixter by free radical grafting copolymerization. The graft degree of AA and BA in the grafted LDPE (LDPE‐g‐(AA+BA)) was determined by FTIR. The influences of initiator on the graft degree of AA and BA, melt flow rate (MFR), and gel content were investigated, and the optimum conditions were obtained. The successive self‐nucleation/annealing (SSA) thermal fraction method was used to characterize the molecular structure and polydispersity of LDPE‐g‐(AA+BA) with various graft degrees. The effects of thermal fraction parameters on fraction of LDPE‐g‐(AA+BA) were investigated. On the basis of the results of SSA, the grafting reaction mechanism of AA and BA onto LDPE was proposed, i.e., grafting reaction preferentially occurred on the tertiary carbons of LDPE. The grafted LDPE possessed suitable reactivity and rheological property. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Fabrication of reverse‐osmosis membranes for the desalination of underground water via the γ‐radiation grafting of acrylic acid onto polyethylene films

Research has been devoted to the desalination of saline water to fresh water suitable for human demands because of the shortage of water in some countries. Therefore, in this study, reverse‐osmosis membranes were prepared via the γ‐radiation graft copolymerization of acrylic acid onto high‐density and low‐density polyethylene. The factors that could affect the grafting process, such as the solvent type, monomer and inhibitor concentration, and irradiation dose, were investigated to determine the optimum conditions for radiation grafting. The polyethylene grafted acrylic acid copolymers (PAAc‐g‐PE) graft copolymer was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and mechanical, rheological, and thermal property testing to illustrate the possibility of practical use in water desalination. The prepared grafted membranes showed significant results in the reverse‐osmosis desalination method with underground saline water. The factors affecting the desalination of water, such as the water flux, operation time, and grafting percentage, were studied. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 45410.     

Grafting of itaconic acid onto LDPE by the reactive extrusion: Effect of neutralizing agents

Grafting of itaconic acid (IA) onto low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) was performed by reactive extrusion where the initiator was dicumyl peroxide, and the neutralizing agents (NAs) were zinc oxides and hydroxides as well as magnesium oxides and hydroxides. The carboxyl groups were neutralized in molten LDPE directly in the course of acid grafting, and in prefabricated functionalized polyethylene (LDPE‐g‐IA). It was found that neutralizing agents introduced into the initial reaction mixture increase the yield of LDPE‐g‐IA while the carboxyl groups were neutralized partially or totally through chemical reactions. The physical structure of LDPE‐g‐IA did not in fact suffer any substantial changes. From the standpoint of neutralization activity, the NAs studied could be arranged as follows: Zn(OH)₂ > ZnO > Mg(OH)₂ > MgO. NA, added into the initial reaction mixture improved the grafting efficiency of IA onto LDPE. In case of the one‐step process (neutralization simultaneously with grafting), the neutralizing effect appears stronger than that in the two‐step process (neutralization of prepared LDPE‐g‐IA). This means that neutralization of carboxyl groups in IA was less effective when NA was introduced into LDPE‐g‐IA than for the case of the initial reactive mixture. Chemical neutralization of grafted IA results in products of improved resistance to thermal oxidation and thermal stability of melt. This result is of practical importance to the opportunities for widening the application range for PE modified by grafting IA, while preparing polymer blends to be compounded, processed, and used at elevated temperatures. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 828–836, 2003     

Investigation of molecular structure of LDPE modified by itaconic acid grafting

Using thermomechanical spectroscopy, the molecular‐weight distribution and relaxation transitions have been investigated in commercial LDPE and grafted by itaconic acid (LDPE‐g‐IA). This grafting in the molten LDPE was done by reactive extrusion with varied content of reactants in the blend under alternating of a shearing rate applied onto the melt. The dependence of structural relaxation changes in LDPE is shown upon the depth of the mechanochemical transformations and the competing reactions at IA grafting, and also on the chemical crosslinking of the macromolecules. The reason for MWD bimodality for LDPE‐g‐IA obtained in dynamic mixing is the raised homogenization degree of the reactive blend and the higher grafted product yield compared with static mixers. The mixer type substantially affects the structure of the LDPE‐g‐IA amorphous phase. The data obtained reflect chemical transformations of LDPE molecules in IA's presence without an initiator of radical reactions (DCP). Most probable is the IA initiation of molecular crosslinking reactions. There could also occur IA thermodegradation and oligomerization. LDPE and IA or products of acid chemical transformations do not agree thermodynamically (the calculated solubility parameters are 16.1 (MJ/m³)^0.5 for polyethylene and 26.4 (MJ/m³)^0.5 for IA). From the above procedure it can be supposed that nongrafted IA (or its oligomers) exerts an antiplastifying effect on LDPE and LDPE‐g‐IA. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 71: 1771–1779, 1999     

Functionalization of polyolefins and elastomers with an oxazoline compound

The aim of this work was to graft ricinoloxazoline maleinate (OXA) onto polyethylene (PE), and onto an ethylene propylene copolymer (E/P) and styrene ethylene/butylene styrene copolymer (SEBS), by melt free radical grafting in a twin‐screw midiextruder. A study was made of the effects of the initial monomer and peroxide concentrations and of temperature on the degree of grafting, on the amount of residual monomer, and on the molecular weight. The initial monomer and peroxide concentrations were 1.5–9.0 wt % and 0.15–0.90 wt %, respectively. The grafting yield was found to increase with the initial monomer and peroxide concentrations. Grafting yields up to 2.1 wt % for PE, 2.3 wt % for E/P and 2.7 wt % for SEBS were achieved. The degree of grafting also varied considerably with the temperature. E/P and SEBS decomposed with low initial monomer and peroxide concentrations, but crosslinked with raising the initial concentrations. Polyethylene crosslinked even with low initial concentrations, but with a suitable choice of peroxide grafted polyethylene could be produced with good grafting yields and without gel formation. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 72: 877–885, 1999     

Graft copolymerisation of N‐vinyl pyrrolidone onto polypropylene copolymer in melt: Effect of grafting on thermomechanical properties and paint adhesion

N‐vinyl pyrrolidone (NVP) was grafted onto a polypropylene copolymer (PP) in melt in a Brabender Plasticorder and single screw extruder. The effect of variation of dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and lupersol (LUP) concentrations alone and with 20 wt % NVP concentration in the Brabender Plasticorder on Melt Flow Index (MFI) and final torque values was studied. Variation of NVP concentration (1–10 wt %) at a fixed DCP concentration on percent grafting (G) and MFI was also studied in the single screw extruder. The graft copolymers (PP‐g‐NVP) obtained by reaction of PP with NVP were soxhlet extracted with isopropanol to remove homopolymer, dried, and finally characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The PP‐g‐NVP (0–30 wt %) was used as an additive with PP, extruded in the single screw extruder, molded, and the mechanical properties and paint adhesion was measured. MFI values increased and torque values decreased with an increase in initiator concentration, indicating the dominance of the peroxide‐initiated scission reaction over grafting. DCP gave higher grafting compared to LUP. When NVP concentration was increased, MFI values increased initially due to more scission, and then decreased, indicating more graft copolymer formation. Mechanical properties increased by incorporation of PP‐g‐NVP as an additive than PP‐g‐NVP alone. Paint adhesion increased by the presence of PP‐g‐NVP as additive especially with polyurethane primer. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 2173–2180, 2003     

Studies on mechanical and morphological behavior of hybrid nanoclay‐reinforced EPDM‐g‐TMEVS/PS blends

A new copolymer of tris(2‐methoxyethoxy) vinylsilane (TMEVS)‐grafted ethylene–propylene–diene elastomer (EPDM‐g‐TMEVS) has been developed by grafting of TMEVS onto EPDM by using dicumylperoxide (DCP) initiator. The linear polystyrene blends (EPDM‐g‐TMEVS/PS) based on EPDM‐g‐TMEVS have been synthesized with varying weight percentages of polystyrene in a twin‐screw extruder. In a similar manner, the dynamically vulcanized and nanoclay‐reinforced polystyrene blends have also been developed using DCP and organically modified montmorillonite clay separately by means of a twin‐screw extruder. The grafting of TMEVS onto EPDM at allylic position present in the third monomer of EPDM has been confirmed by Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy. The effect of silane‐grafted EPDM and concentration of nanoclay on mechanical properties of polystyrene blends has been studied as per ASTM standards. The morphological behavior of these blends has been investigated using scanning electron microscope. It was observed that the incorporation of silane‐grafted EPDM enhanced the impact strength and the percentage elongation of linear‐ and dynamically vulcanized blends. However, the values of tensile strength, flexural strength, flexural modulus, and hardness of the blends were found to be decreasing with the increase of silane‐grafted EPDM. In the case of nanoclay‐reinforced polystyrene blends, the values of impact strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, flexural modulus, and hardness were increased with an increase in the concentration of nanoclay. XRD studies have been carried out to confirm the formation of nanoclay‐reinforced EPDM‐g‐TMEVS/PS blends. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Preparation and characterization of polyaniline N‐grafted with poly(ethyl acrylate) synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization

Polyaniline (PANI) N‐grafted with poly(ethyl acrylate) (PEA) was synthesized by the grafting of bromo‐terminated poly (ethyl acrylate) (PEA‐Br) onto the leucoemeraldine form of PANI. PEA‐Br was synthesized by the atom transfer radical polymerization of ethyl acrylate in the presence of methyl‐2‐bromopropionate and copper(I) chloride/bipyridine as the initiator and catalyst systems, respectively. The leucoemeraldine form of PANI was deprotonated by butyl lithium and then reacted with PEA‐Br to prepare PEA‐g‐PANI graft copolymers containing different amounts of PEA via an N‐grafting reaction. The graft copolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis. Solubility testing showed that the solubility of PANI in chloroform was increased by the grafting of PEA onto PANI. The morphology of the PEA‐g‐PANI graft copolymer films was observed by scanning electron microscopy to be homogeneous. The electrical conductivity of the graft copolymers was measured by the four‐probe method. The results show that the conductivity of the PANI decreased significantly with increasing grafting density of PEA onto the PANI backbone up to 7 wt % and then remained almost constant with further increases in the grafting percentage of PEA. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Dyeability and swelling properties of graft copolymers of LDPE with 2‐hydroxypropyl methacrylate monomer prepared by gamma radiation

Low density polyethylene (LDPE) films were grafted with 2‐hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA) monomer by gamma radiation. The LDPE graft copolymer was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, tensile mechanical testing, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The dye affinity of LDPE graft copolymers for different dyestuffs was studied. Also, the effect of temperature on the swelling characters of LDPE‐g‐HPMA was investigated. The TGA study showed that the LDPE graft copolymers, over the studied graft yields, possessed higher thermal stability than pure LDPE polymer. While, LDPE has no dye affinity for any of the known dyestuffs, LDPE graft copolymers displayed a unique dye affinity for a wide range of dyestuffs belonging to different classes. The results showed that the equilibrium swelling of LDPE graft copolymers in water reached after 7 h. In addition, the results showed that the swelling of LDPE graft copolymers was influenced by temperature within the temperature range 10–40°C. POLYM. COMPOS., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

A facile,green, versatile protocol to prepare polypropylene‐g‐poly(methyl methacrylate) copolymer by water‐solid phase suspension grafting polymerization using the surface of reactor granule technology polypropylene granules as reaction loci

A facile and environment friendly process, called water‐solid phase suspension grafting polymerization, was developed to prepare polypropylene‐g‐poly(methyl methacrylate) (PP‐g‐PMMA) copolymer with a submicrometer microdomain. In this approach, graft polymerization was elaborately regulated to occur within micropores of polypropylene particles prepared by reactor granule technology. FTIR spectra of the samples after extraction demonstrated that PMMA was successfully grafted onto the PP. The results showed grafting percentage (GP) of PMMA increased with the increasing monomer ratios to PP and that could reach 13.6%. Whereas the grafting efficiency decreased as the monomer ratio increased. The addition of second monomer styrene improved GP up to 24.5%. Differential Scanning Calorimetry tests showed that the grafting of PMMA have a slight effect on the melting point and the relative crystallinity of PP. TEM micrographs demonstrated PMMA domains distributed in PP matrix with sizes ranging from about 100 to 300 nm. In addition, Shear viscosity increased with the growing GP indicated by rheological measurement. The preliminary evaluation showed PP‐g‐PMMA was effective in improving the compatibility of PP/acrylonitrile‐styrene‐acrylate blends. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

A study of radical graft copolymerization on polypropylene during extrusion using two peroxide initiators

Functionalization of polypropylene (PP) during melt extrusion has been explored extensively. In this study, two different radical initiators were employed and compared in grafting acyclic halamine precursors to PP. 2,4‐Diamino‐6‐diallylamino‐1,3,5‐triazine (NDAM) was grafted onto PP during a melt‐extrusion process using either 2,5‐dimethyl‐2,5‐(tert‐butylperoxy)hexyne (DTBHY) or dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as initiator. The results confirmed the radical graft copolymerization of the monomer onto the PP backbone during the reactive extrusion process. It was revealed that, at low monomer concentration, when peroxide initiator concentration was increased, polymer chain scission became dominant. DCP was more efficient than DTBHY as an initiator in the graft polymerization. After exposure to chlorine bleach, the grafted structures could be easily transformed into N‐halamines, which provided powerful, durable and regenerable antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. It is concluded that both DCP and DTBHY could be used as radical initiators in reactive extrusion to graft certain vinyl monomers to PP. The NDAM‐grafted PP could provide expected antibacterial function after chlorination of the grafted product in a chlorine bleach solution. The modified PP showed great potential for use in medical devices and non‐woven textiles. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Modification of low‐density polyethylene by graft copolymerization with maleic anhydride and blends with polyamide 6

Modification of low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) hyperbranched grafting with a maleic anhydride (MAH) was carried out using corotating twin screw extruder in the presence of benzoyl peroxide. The LDPE/polyamide 6 (PA6) and LDPE‐g‐MAH/PA6 blends were obtained with a corotating twin screw extruder. The melt viscosity of the grafted LDPE was measured by a capillary rheometer. The grafted copolymer was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy The effects of variations in temperature, PA6 loading, and benzoyl peroxide and MAH concentration were investigated. The results show that most MAH monomers were grafted onto the LDPE at a lower MAH concentration. With the proper selection of the reaction parameters, we obtained a grafting degree higher than 4.9%. Mechanical test results indicate that the blends had good interfacial adhesion and good stability of the phase structure during heating, which was reflected in the mechanical properties. Furthermore, the results reveal that the tensile strength of the blends increased continuously with increasing PA6 content. Moreover, the home‐synthesized maleated LDPE could be used for the compatibilization of LDPE/PA 6 blends. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

PP/LDPE blends produced by reactive processing. I. Grafting efficiency and rheological and high‐elastic properties of [PP/LDPE]‐g‐IA melts

Itaconic acid (IA) was grafted onto polypropylene/low‐density polyethylene (PP/LDPE) blends. The ratio of polymeric components was varied from 100 : 0 to 0 : 100. The effect of the variation in the ratios of the components on grafting efficiency and concomitant side processes was studied. Grafting of IA (1 wt %) was initiated by 2,5‐dimethyl‐2,5‐di(tert‐butyl peroxy)‐hexane (0.3 wt %) and was carried out in an extruder reactor equipped with a dynamic mixer. An increase in the PP content of the blend led to a lower yield of the grafted product. With low concentrations of LDPE in the blend (up to 25 wt %), grafting efficiency was observed to increase, and this increase was greater in comparison with the additive rule. Between 25 and 99 wt % of LDPE in the blend, grafting efficiency rose monotonically with LDPE concentration. At or below an LDPE content of 25 wt %, the melt flow index (MFI) of [PP/LDPE]‐g‐IA would increase unlike with PP‐g‐IA systems. But a small quantity of PP (below 25 wt %) in the [PP/LDPE]‐g‐IA blends would result in a decreased MFI unlike with LDPE‐g‐IA. The dependence of swell index and melt strength on the ratio of polymeric components in [PP/LDPE]‐g‐IA blends also was investigated. ©2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 5095–5104, 2006     

Properties of grafted polymer metal complexes as ion exchangers and its electrical conductivity

A polyelectrolyte has been prepared, as a potential proton exchange polymer, by grafting acrylic acid/acrylamide (AAc/AAm) and acrylic acid/acrylonitrile (AAc/AN) comonomers onto a low‐density polyethylene film via gamma irradiation. The developed polymers were characterized by evaluating their physico‐chemical properties such as ion exchange capacity (IEC) and electrical conductivity as functions of grafting yield. The grafted film at different compositions was characterized by Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. IEC of the grafted film at grafting % 191 and monomer concentration ratio 50:50 for (LDPE‐g‐AAc/AAm) was found to be more than that for (LDPE‐g‐AAc/AN). The electrical conductivity was found to be greatly affected by the comonomer composition, were it increased as the degree of grafting increased for all grafted films. After alkaline treatment with 3% KOH (3% potassium hydroxide), the electrical conductivity of the grafted films found to be increased. The presence of potassium as counter ion maximized the electrical conductivity of the grafted films. The electrical conductivity of Cu‐membrane complexes was higher than that of both Co (cobalt) and Ni (Nickel) complexes. It has been indicated that, the electrical conductivity increased by increasing both Cu ion content and temperature. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2013. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

Grafting of polyacrylonitrile onto guar gum under microwave irradiation

Using microwave (MW) irradiation grafting of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) onto guar gum in water was done without using any radical initiator or catalyst within a very short reaction time. The extent of grafting could be adjusted by controlling the reaction conditions and maximum percentage grafting (%G) of about 188% was obtained under optimum conditions in 1.66 min. The average molecular weight of the grafted PAN chains and water‐retention power of the alkali hydrolyzed MW‐grafted gums were also determined and compared with those of the conventionally synthesized (cs) graft copolymer. A representative MW‐grafted copolymer, guar‐g‐polyacrylonitrile was characterized by IR, NMR, XRD, TGA, and elemental analysis. A plausible mechanism for the grafting under MW was proposed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 1569–1575, 2004     

Natural rubber‐g‐methyl methacrylate/poly(methyl methacrylate) blends

The grafting of the methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer onto natural rubber using potassium persulfate as an initiator was carried out by emulsion polymerization. The rubber macroradicals reacted with MMA to form graft copolymers. The morphology of grafted natural rubber (GNR) was determined by transmission electron microscopy and it was confirmed that the graft copolymerization was a surface‐controlled process. The effects of the initiator concentration, reaction temperature, monomer concentration, and reaction time on the monomer conversion and grafting efficiency were investigated. The grafting efficiency of the GNR was determined by a solvent‐extraction technique. The natural rubber‐g‐methyl methacrylate/poly(methyl methacrylate) (NR‐g‐MMA/PMMA) blends were prepared by a melt‐mixing system. The mechanical properties and the fracture behavior of GNR/PMMA blends were evaluated as a function of the graft copolymer composition and the blend ratio. The tensile strength, tear strength, and hardness increased with an increase in PMMA content. The tensile fracture surface examined by scanning electron microscopy disclosed that the graft copolymer acted as an interfacial agent and gave a good adhesion between the two phases of the compatibilized blend. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 428–439, 2001     

RAFT‐mediated graft polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate in emulsion from polyethylene/polypropylene initiated with γ‐radiation

The successful reversible addition‐fragmentation (RAFT)‐mediated graft polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) in emulsion phase from polyethylene/polypropylene nonwoven fabric using 4‐cyano‐4‐[(phenylcarbonothioyl)thio]pentanoic acid under γ‐irradiation at ambient condition is reported. While conventional graft polymerization in emulsion phase yielded grafted materials with low of grafting (Dg) values [<7.5% at 10% (wt/wt) GMA], addition of RAFT agent to the graft polymerization system allowed the synthesis of polyethylene/polypropylene‐g‐poly(GMA) with more tunable Dg (8% ≤ Dg ≤ 94%) by controlling the grafting parameters. Relatively good control (PDI ～1.2 for selected grafting conditions) during polymerization was attained at 100:1 monomer‐to‐RAFT agent molar ratio. The number average molecular weight of free poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) increased as a function of monomer conversion. NMR analyses of the free PGMA homopolymers indicate the presence of dithiobenzoate group from 4‐cyano‐4‐((phenylcarbonothioyl)thio) pentanoic acid on the polymer chain. The reactive pendant oxirane group of the grafted GMA can be modified for various environmental and industrial applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 45270.     

Strategies for improving graft degree of urethane derivative of 2‐hydroxymethyl methacrylate grafted onto LDPE

A novel monomer, 2‐methyl‐acrylic acid 2‐(3‐isocyanato‐2‐methyl‐phenyl carbamoyloxy)‐ethyl ester (HT), was synthesized by the reaction of 2‐hydroxymethyl methacrylate with toluene diisocyanate. The influences of solvents, temperature and catalyst, dibutyl tin dilaurate on the total yield of HT were investigated and theoptimum synthesis conditions were obtained. The obtained monomer was then used to modify low density polyethylene (LDPE) in the Haake Rheomix 600P via melt grafting copolymerization. The modified LDPE was characterized by Fourier transform infrared. During the grafting process, single‐step and two‐step procedures were compared and the results showed that the two‐step procedure was more favorable. In a two‐step procedure, the influences of melting temperatures, monomer amount, and ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA, M_n = 800–1200) on the graft degree were also investigated. The investigation confirmed that EVA acting as a dispersant could enhance the dispersion of the monomer and improve graft degree significantly, and net value of increased graft degree was about 1.5%. The better dispersion of HT in the matrix of LDPE was confirmed via scanning electron microscope after adding EVA to the system. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Graft copolymerization of 4-vinyl pyridine onto isotactic polypropylene hydroperoxide by mutual irradiation method

An attempt has been made to graft copolymerize 4-vinyl pyridine onto isotactic polypropylene hydroperoxide by mutual irradiation method in an aqueous medium. Polypropylene hydroperoxide has been prepared by irradiating recrystallized polypropylene beads from a Co⁶⁰ source in the presence of air. The resulting polypropylene hydroperoxide beads have been used as the backbone polymer and grafting of 4-vinyl pyridine has been studied as a function of various reaction parameters. Optimum conditions for maximum percentage of grafting have been evaluated. Rate of grafting (R_g) has been determined as a function of preirradiation dose and initial monomer concentration. Water has been found to affect percentage of grafting. The graft copolymers have been characterized by spectroscopic method and isolation of the grafted poly(4-VP) from the graft copolymer. A plausible mechanism is proposed to explain the mutual grafting of 4-vinyl pyridine onto polypropylene hydroperoxide. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Surface grafting polymerization of N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone onto a poly(ethylene terephthalate) nonwoven by plasma pretreatment and its antibacterial activities

The objective of this research was the surface grafting polymerization of biocompatible monomer N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NVP) onto a plasma‐treated nonwoven poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate with ultraviolet (UV)‐induced methods. The effects of various parameters, such as the monomer concentration, reaction time, initiator (ammonium peroxodisulfate) concentration, and crosslinking agent (N,N′‐methylene bisacrylamide) concentration, on the grafting percentage were studied. The grafting efficiency of the modified nonwoven PET surfaces reached a maximum at 50 min of UV irradiation and with a 30 wt % aqueous NVP solution. After the plasma activation and/or grafting, the hydrophobic surface of the nonwoven was modified into a hydrophilic surface. NVP was successfully grafted onto nonwoven PET surfaces. The surface wettability showed that the water absorption of NVP‐grafted nonwoven PET (NVP‐g‐nonwoven PET) increased with increasing grafting time. NVP‐g‐nonwoven PET was verified by Fourier transform infrared spectra and scanning electron microscopy measurements. An antibacterial assessment using an anti‐Staphylococcus aureus test indicated that S. aureus was restrained from growing in NVP‐g‐nonwoven PET. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 803–809, 2006