| Abstract: | Liquid phase ultraviolet irradiation in the presence of benzophenone as a photosensitizer and barium hydroxide as a pH controller were used to graft the mixtures of acrylic acid and acrylamide to a polypropylene surface. The surface of the grafted polypropylene samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy‐attenuated total reflectance, electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and a contact angle meter. The pH value of the reaction medium that produced the graft with equal molar ratio was found to be ∼ 3.77. The optimal reaction condition was found at a monomer feed of 25%, a reaction time of 30 min, and a benzophenone concentration of 1%. Surface tension of the samples increased to a value of 40 dyn cm−1 due to the graft of the hydrophilic monomers. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 72: 251–256, 1999 |
