Graft polymerization of methyl methacrylate onto wool using dimethylaniline/copper(II) system

Dimethylaniline (DMA)/Cu^II-induced grafting of methyl methacrylate (MMA) onto wool fibres was studied under different conditions. The grafting reaction was found to be influenced by Cu^II, DMA, and MMA concentrations as well as polymerization temperature, reaction time, and polymerization medium. While the graft yield increased by increasing the amount of MMA from 100 to 500 mmol/L, maximum grafting occurred at 0.5 mmol/L CuSO₄, 10 mmol/L DMA. The graft yield increased by increasing the reaction time from 15 to 150 min and by raising the polymerization temperature from 60 to 80°C. Using dimethylformamide/water and ethyl alcohol/water mixture as a medium for grafting decreased the graft yield, while using isopropyl alcohol/water mixtures increased the graft yield as compared to pure aqueous medium.