Polymerization of alkyl acrylates and alkyl methacrylates with starch

A series of C₄-C₁₂ alkyl acrylates and methacrylates was polymerized with starch by irradiating starch–monomer mixtures with ⁶⁰Co. Homopolymers were extracted with cyclohexane. The amounts of insoluble versus soluble synthetic polymer in polymerization run with alkyl acrylates varied less with the chain length of the alkyl substuent than in the polymerizations run with alkyl acrylates varied less with the chain length of the alkyl substituent than in the polymerizations run with alkyl methacrylates; and the poly(alkyl acrylate) contents of cyclohexane-insoluble fractions were all in the 38–45% range. Synthetic polymer contents of the products from butyl, hexyl, and decyl methacrylates were also close to this range. Octyl and lauryl methacrylate, however, gave high conversions to cyclohexane-soluble poly(alkyl methacrylate) along with little or no unextractable synthetic polymer in the starch-containing fractions. Poly(lauryl methacrylate) could be rendered insoluble by incorporating a small amount of tetramethylene glycol dimethacrylate in the polymerization mixture. In a series of polymerizations run with hexyl acrylate and hexyl methacrylate, lower irradiation doses led to more cyclohexane-soluble polymer and less synthetic polymer in the starch-containing fractions. Enzymatic digestion of starch-soluble polymer and less synthetic polymer in the starch-containing fractions. Enzymatic digestion of starch-containing polymers gave synthetic polymer fractions that were largely insoluble in cyclohexane. Crosslinking is, therefore, probably taking place during these polymerizations; however, we could not eliminate the possibility that reduced solubility was caused by small amounts of residual carbohydrate in these polymer fractions. Ceric ammonium nitrate-initiated polymerizations of butyl acrylate, hexyl acrylate, and butyl methacrylate with starch gave cyclohexane-insoluble polymers that contained 33–39% synthetic polymer. The higher alkyl acrylates and methacrylates produced little or no polymer under these conditions. Starch-containing fractions were tested as absorbents for hydrocarbons. Products prepared from decyl acrylate and lauryl acryle acrylate absorbed about 9 g of isooctane per 1 g of polymer, whereas the lowrer alkyl monomers gave polymers with lower absorbency.     

A new biodegradable plastic made from starch graft poly(methyl acrylate) copolymer

A starch graft poly(methyl acrylate) copolymer was developed having grafted side chains with molecular weight of less than 500,000. This material can be easily extruded into a film which shows excellent initial tensile strength and elongation. Tensile strength, however, falls off rapidly after 70 hr of water immersion at 25°C. Starch graft poly(methyl acrylate) films show excellent susceptibility to fungal growth, some samples losing more than 40% of their weight after 22 days of incubation with Aspergillus niger. Tensile tests and scanning electron micrographs of the incubated samples, after being freed of mycelium, indicate substantial biodegradation of the starch portion of the copolymer. This material may have application as a biodegradable plastic mulch.     

The use of amylose‐rich starch nanoparticles in emulsion polymerization

Regenerated starch nanoparticles (RSNPs) produced from dent corn, an amylose‐rich source of starch, are added to an emulsion polymerization. To reduce or eliminate the challenges of polymerizing in the presence of amylose‐rich starch, a seeded, semibatch, monomer‐starved approach is used. To prevent the accumulation of water soluble amylose in the aqueous phase, reaction with a hydrophobic compatibilizing monomer, butyl acrylate, is used prior to the primary butyl acrylate/methyl methacrylate/acrylic acid feed. In addition, an elevated initiator concentration is used in the seed stage to reduce the molecular weight of the soluble starch and promote grafting. The procedure yields a 100.0 cp latex with 40 wt % solids, 25 wt % RSNP loading, and 40 wt % incorporation. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46485.     

Modification of starch–poly(methyl acrylate) graft copolymers by steam jet cooking

Starch-g-poly(methyl acrylate) containing 12.3, 31.9, 51.7, and 58.3% PMA, by weight, were prepared by ceric ammonium nitrate-initiated polymerization of methyl acrylate onto granular cornstarch. The granular structures of these graft copolymers were not disrupted by steam jet cooking at 140°C. At most, only 13% of the polymer was dissolved, and this soluble fraction was comprised largely of starch. The probability of crosslinking within these graft copolymer granules was considered. Physical properties of extruded ribbons depended upon whether or not granular graft copolymers were jet cooked prior to extrusion. Although tensile strengths were not greatly affected by steam jet cooking, cooked samples showed significant increases in both percent elongation and tear resistance. The effects of jet cooking upon the properties of extruded ribbons can be explained by gelatinization of starch within the grafted starch granules. Although jet-cooked granules still remain intact, gelatinization of the starch moiety causes these granules to be less rigid, more deformable, and more easily plasticized by small amounts of water. Loss of starch crystallinity after steam jet cooking was proved by both differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 65:1021–1029, 1997     

Starch Derivatives of High Degree of Functionalization, 8. Synthesis and Flocculation Behavior of Cationic Starch Polyelectrolytes

Water soluble starch derivatives with a high degree of substitution (DS) up to 1 containing quaternary ammonium groups were prepared by reacting starch with 3‐chloro‐2‐hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride (QUAB®188) in ethanol/sodium hydroxide/water or preferably with 2,3‐epoxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride (QUAB®151) in aqueous‐alkaline solution. The DS values of the samples can be controlled by adjusting the molar ratio of cationization agent to anhydroglucose unit and is only slightly dependent on the amylose content of the starting starch material. The structure of the cationic starch derivatives was confirmed by means of NMR spectroscopy. Dewatering experiments with the cationic starch derivatives were conducted on a harbor sediment suspension using a laboratory pressure filtration apparatus. The cationic starches were used alone and in combination with a high‐molar‐mass synthetic polyanion. Both dependence on the DS of the sample and influence of the amylose/amylopectin ratios of the initial native starch were observed. The highest dewatering index of 63 was found for the cationic polyelectrolyte based on the amylopectin‐rich waxy maize starch in monoflocculation. In case of dual flocculation using additionally a poly(acrylamide‐co‐acrylate) a dewatering index of even 85 was attained.     

Effects of water on starch-g-polystyrene and starch-g-poly(methyl acrylate) extrudates

Polystyrene and poly(methyl acrylate) were grafted onto wheat starch by gamma radiation and chemical initiation, respectively. The respective percent add-on values were 46 and 45;68% of the polystyrene formed was grafted to starch, and the corresponding proportion of poly(methyl acrylate) was 41%. The molecular weight distributions of the homopolymer and graft portions were characterized, and extrusion conditions were established for production of ribbon samples of starch-g-PS and starch-g-PMA. Both copolymer types were considerably weakened by soaking in water, and this effect was more immediate and drastic for starch-g-poly(methyl acrylate). Both graft copolymers regained their original tensile strengths on drying, but the poly(methyl acrylate) specimens did not recover their original unswollen dimensions and retained high breaking elongations characteristic of soaked specimens. Tensile and dynamic mechanical properties of extruded and molded samples of both graft polymers are reported, and the plasticizing effects of water are summarized.     

Hydrolysis of poly(acrylamide)–starch graft copolymer

Poly(acrylamide)–starch graft copolymer was treated independently with sodium hydroxide and different acid solutions. The different acids include phosphoric, hydrochloric, and sulphuric acid. The treatment was carried out under a variety of conditions including sodium hydroxide concentration, time, and duration of hydrolysis as well as type of acid used. The extent of hydrolysis was assessed by estimating amide and carboxyl content as well as the acrylate and starch content before and after treatment. It was found that the increment in carboxyl content is equal to the decrement in amide on using sodium hydroxide concentration up to 1N, while using higher concentration than 1N leads to a difference in formed carboxyl and decreased amide groups. The magnitude of this difference depends on sodium hydroxide concentration as well as temperature and duration of hydrolysis. The maximum value of carboxyl content obtained was 593 meq/100 g sample. The acidic treatment of the starch copolymer does not affect the conversion of amide groups to carboxyl groups, and the sole effect was hydrolysis of starch component of the copolymer. Evaluation of the alkali-treated copolymer as cation exchanger was carried out. The absorption efficiency % of different cations depends on the associated anions and follow the order: Cu²⁺ > Zn²⁺ > Co²⁺ > Mg²⁺. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Viscoelastic properties of branched polyacrylate melts

The viscoelastic properties of poly(n‐butyl acrylate), poly(ethyl acrylate) and poly(methyl acrylate) melts have been studied using samples that varied in both molar mass and the mol% branched repeat units, these properties having been previously determined by gel permeation chromatography and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, respectively. Poly(n‐butyl acrylate) was studied most extensively using seven samples; one sample of poly(n‐butyl acrylate), two samples of poly(ethyl acrylate) and one sample of poly(methyl acrylate) were used to study the effect of side‐group size. Storage and loss moduli were measured over a range of frequency (1 × 10^?3 to 1 × 10² rad s^?1) at temperatures from T_g + 20 °C to T_g + 155 °C and then shifted to form master curves at T_g + 74 °C through use of standard superposition procedures. The plateau regions were not distinct due to the broad molar mass distributions of the polyacrylates. Hence, the upper and lower limits of shear storage modulus from the nominal ‘plateau’ region of the curves for the seven poly(n‐butyl acrylate) samples were used to calculate the chain molar mass between entanglements, M_e, which gave the range 13.0 kg mol^?1 < M_e < 65.0 kg mol^?1. The Graessley–Edwards dimensionless interaction density and dimensionless contour length concentration were calculated for poly(n‐butyl acrylate) using the mean value of plateau modulus (1.2 × 10⁵ Pa) and three different methods for estimation of the Kuhn length; the data fitted closely to the Graessley–Edwards universal plot. The Williams–Landel–Ferry C₁ and C₂ parameters were determined for each of the polyacrylates; the data for the poly(n‐butyl acrylate) samples indicate an overall reduction in C₁ and C₂ as the degree of branching increases. Although the values of C₁ and C₂ were different for poly(n‐butyl acrylate), poly(ethyl acrylate) and poly(methyl acrylate), there is no trend for variation with structure. Thus the viscoelastic properties of the polyacrylate melts are similar to those for other polymer melts and, for the samples investigated, the effect of molar mass appears to dominate the effect of branching. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Graft polymerization of vinyl acetate onto starch. Saponification to starch–g–poly(vinyl alcohol)

Graft polymerizations of vinyl acetate onto granular corn starch were initiated by cobalt-60 irradiation of starch-monomer-water mixtures, and ungrafted poly(vinylacetate) was separated from the graft copolymer by benzene extraction. Conversions of monomer to polymer were quantitative at a radiation dose of 1.0 Mrad. However, over half of the polymer was present as ungrafted poly-(vinyl acetate) (grafting efficiency less than 50%), and the graft copolymer contained only 34% grafted synthetic polymer (34% add-on). Lower irradiation doses produced lower conversions of monomer to polymer and gave graft copolymers with lower % add-on. Addition of minor amounts of acrylamide, methyl acrylate, and methacrylic acid as comonomers produced only small increases in % add-on and grafting efficiency. However, grafting efficiency was increased to 70% when a monomer mixture containing about 10% methyl methacrylate was used. Grafting efficiency could be increased to over 90% if the graft polymerization of vinyl acetate-methyl methacrylate was carried out near 0°C, although conversion of monomers to polymer was low and grafted polymer contained 40-50% poly(methyl methacrylate). Selected graft copolymers were treated with methanolic sodium hydroxide to convert starch–g–poly(vinyl acetate) to starch–g–poly(vinyl alcohol). The molecular weight of the poly(vinyl alcohol) moiety was about 30,000. The solubility of starch–g–poly(vinyl alcohol) in hot water was less than 50%; however, solubility could be increased by substituting either acid-modified or hypochlorite-oxidized starch for unmodified starch in the graft polymerization reaction. Vinyl acetate was also graft polymerized onto acid-modified starch which had been dispersed and partially solubilized by heating in water. A total irradiation dose of either 1.0 or 0.5 Mrad gave starch–g–poly(vinyl acetate) with about 35% add-on, and a grafting efficiency of about 40% was obtained. A film cast from a starch–g–poly(vinyl alcohol) copolymer in which homopolymer was not removed exhibited a higher ultimate tensile strength than a comparable physical mixture of starch and poly(vinyl alcohol).     

Rapid living free‐radical polymerization of methyl acrylate under 60Co γ‐ray irradiation at room temperature

Rapid living free‐radical polymerization of methyl acrylate under ⁶⁰Co γ‐ray irradiation in the presence of benzyl 1H‐imidazole‐1‐carbodithioate at room temperature is reported. The results showed that the polymerization is a fast living process, and that the molecular weight of the polymer is as high as 39 600 g mol^?1 at 68 % conversion with M_w/M_n = 1.09 within 68 min. The polymerization rate was markedly influenced by the structures of thiocarbonylthio compounds. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Evaluation of properties of starch-based adhesives and particleboard manufactured from them

The objective of this study was to evaluate some of the mechanical and physical properties of experimental particleboard panels manufactured from rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis) bonded using oil palm starch, wheat starch, and urea formaldehyde (UF) at a density of 0.60 g/cm³. Bending characteristics, internal bond strength, thickness swelling, and water absorptions of the samples were determined based on Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS). Overall mechanical properties for natural binder oil palm starch resulted in higher values than those made from wheat starch. The highest internal-bonding strength (IB) value of 0.41 N/mm² was determined for the samples made from oil palm starch. Dimensional stability in the form of thickness swelling of the samples made from oil palm starch had higher values, ranging from 4.24 to 22.84% than those manufactured from wheat starch. Natural adhesive showed comparable strength with panels manufactured with UF. Overall results meet the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) requirements except for water absorption and thickness swelling of the samples.     

Graft copolymers of starch and poly(ethyl acrylate) dilution effects

Graft copolymerization of ethyl acrylate onto starch initiated by ceric ion in an aqueous medium was studied at 29°C. It was found that the grafting frequencies and molecular weights of grafted poly(ethyl acrylate) changed from 2 graft polymer molecules per 10⁴ anhydroglucose units (AGU) and 3.03 · 10⁵ to 34 and 6.80 · 10⁵, respectively, when the starch content was varied from 1.0 wt.-% to 0.2 wt.-%. The influence of dilution of ceric ion on the extent and rate of graft polymerization of ethyl acrylate onto starch was also examined.     

Effect of chain rigidity on block copolymer micelle formation and dissolution as observed by 1H-NMR spectroscopy

Amphiphilic copolymers poly(methyl methacrylate-b-acrylic acid), poly(methyl methacrylate-b-methacrylic acid), poly(methyl acrylate-b-acrylic acid) and poly(methyl acrylate-b-methacrylic acid) were prepared by reversible addition fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The hydrophilic polyacid blocks were either synthesized directly or formed by the hydrolysis of poly(tert-butyl acrylate) or poly(tert-butyl methacrylate) blocks. The hydrophobic blocks consisted of either the more rigid, high glass transition temperature (T _g ) poly(methyl methacrylate) or more flexible, low T _g poly(methyl acrylate) material. The hydrophilic blocks were either poly(methacrylic acid) (rigid, high T _g ) or poly(acrylic acid) (flexible, low T _g ). The micellization behavior of the polymers was studied by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) spectroscopy in mixtures of 1,4-dioxane-d₈ and D₂O. All four polymers were soluble in neat dioxane. In solutions of higher water content, the polymers with the more rigid hydrophobic blocks formed into micelles as was evidenced by broadening of the resonances resulting from the protons in those blocks. At moderate water concentration (25–50%), dissolution of the micelles was observed upon heating the solution. No micellization was observed in polymers containing the less rigid poly(methyl acrylate) hydrophobic block regardless of the identity of the hydrophilic block. As further evidence of micellization formation and dissolution, the spin-lattice (T ₁) and spin-spin (T ₂) relaxation times of protons in the hydrophobic and hydrophilic blocks were measured. Significant differences in the relaxation times as functions of temperature and solvent concentration were observed between the hydrophilic and hydrophobic blocks of the micelle-forming polymers.     

Radiation-degradation susceptibility studies of vinyl terpolymers: Search for improved electron beam resists

To develop polymer systems with improved lithographic resist properties, terpolymers of methyl methacrylate/methacrylonitrile/methyl α-chloroacryate (MMA/MCN/MCA), methyl methacrylate/methacrylonitrile/α-chloroacrylonitrile (MMA/MCN/ACAN), and methyl methacrylate/methacrylonitrile/vinylidene chloride (MMA/MCN/VDC) were prepared by emulsion polymerization. Also one methyl methacrylate/ methyl α-chloroacylate/α-chloroacrylonitrile (MMA/MCA/ ACAN) terpolymer was prepared. The radiation susceptibilities of these terpolymers were measured using the ⁶⁰Coγ-irradiation method. Molecular weights were determined both by membrane osmometry and gel permeation chromatography. All terpolymers exhibited higher radiation-degradation susceptibilities than poly(methyl methacrylate). The Gs values did not follow the general trend, previously observed with MCN/MCA copolymers, of being directly proportional to the respective terpolymer compositions. In some cases, the addition of small quantities of α-chlorine-containing monomers caused Gx to increase. This observation greatly differs from those observed for copolymer systems such as MMA/MCA, MCN/MCA, MMA/ ACAN, etc. studied previously. Terpolymerization gives highly soluble polymers especially suitable for wet development by many solvents. This is an important consideration for polymers with high mole fractions of methacrylonitrile (MCN) or vinylidene chloride (VDC) which are rendered soluble in development solvents. The electron-beam sensitivities were obtained for samples of three classes of the terpolymers and they were higher than that of PMMA. For example, at 20Kev a 62/34/4 MMA/MCN/MCA terpolymer exhibited a sensitivity of 1.3 × 10^?5 coulombs cm^?2 at l/l_o = 1. The introduction of ACAN narrows the working range for positive resist behavior. For example MMA/MCN/ACAN(41/40/19) has a sensitivity of 8.3 × 10^?6 coulombs cm^?2 at l/l₀ = 0.6 but it crosslinks at 1 ? 1.3 × 10^? coulombs cm². The MMA/MCN/VDC(21/76/3) polymer was about 25 times more sensitive than PMMA (7 × 10^?6 C cm^?2 at l/l₀=1).     

Biodegradation of starch and acrylic‐grafted starch by Aspergillus niger

The biodegradation of starch and grafted starch by Aspergillus niger was examined. The grafted polymers were poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA). Thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared, and scanning electron microscopy were used to determine the morphology and degradation degree of each material. The temperature of maximum decomposition for starch decreased as enzymatic degradation proceeded, and it was completed on the 8th day of culturing in a liquid medium. Grafted samples with PMMA and PBA achieved degradation of their starch moiety. PBA in starch‐g‐PBA samples hindered the accessibility of the enzymes to the degradable material, and this resulted in a longer degradation time. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 2764–2770, 2003     

Inverse microemulsion copolymerization of butyl acrylate and acrylamide: kinetics,colloidal parameters and some model applications

The inverse microemulsion copolymerization of acrylamide and butyl acrylate initiated by ammonium peroxodisulphate, a water‐soluble initiator, and stabilized by anionic emulsifiers sodium bis‐2‐ethylhexylsulfosuccinate and sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) has been studied. An increase of SDS concentration was observed to increase both the rate of polymerization and the particle size. The average number of radicals per particle (n?) is much below 0.5, which indicates desorption of monomeric radicals from polymer particles. The exit (desorption) rate constants k′_des (cm² s^?1) and k_des (s^?1) were evaluated as a function of SDS concentration (or the particle size) according to the Ugelstad/O'Toole (I), Nomura (II) and Gilbert (III) models. The value of k_des (s^?1) decreases with increasing particle size (or SDS concentration) for all three (I, II and III) models. A complex trend appears for k′_des (cm² s^?1): the Ugelstad/O'Toole model estimates a decrease, the Nomura model finds no variation and the Gilbert model estimates even a slight increase in k′_des with increasing SDS concentration. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Water absorbency of poly(sodium acrylate) superabsorbents crosslinked with modified poly(ethylene glycol)s

A series of novel crosslinkers, polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) with different molecular weights, were prepared, consisting of acryloyl end groups and the PEG backbones. The corresponding poly(sodium acrylate) superabsorbents of 60 mol % neutralization degree were synthesized by using ammonium persulfate and dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate as redox initiators in aqueous solution. PEGDA was characterized by FTIR and ¹H‐NMR. The maximum of water absorbency (Q) of superabsorbents occurred at a specific mole fraction of crosslinker; Q‐values increased with increasing molecular weight of PEGDA at the same mole fraction, whereas the water absorption rate was the opposite, in which Q‐values decreased gradually with time (>24 h). Compared with superabsorbents containing methylene bisacrylamide crosslinker with PEGDA, the Q‐value of the former was significantly less than that of the latter, although levels of the residual monomer and the soluble polymer were opposite. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 1851–1856, 2003     

Decontamination of radioactive concrete using electrokinetic technology

The experimental results of the electrokinetic decontamination with 0.01 M of nitric acid were that the cesium ions were removed by up to 52% from the concrete after 15 days, also the cobalt ions were only removed by up to 0.7%. The concrete should be washed with H₂SO₄ as a pretreatment before electrokintic decontamination to lower its pH below 4.0. The removal efficiencies of ⁶⁰Co and ¹³⁷Cs by nitric acid were increased by 3.1 and 2.5% more than those by acetic acid. The larger the particle size of the concrete, the more the removal efficiencies of ⁶⁰Co and ¹³⁷Cs were increased. Also, the removal efficiencies of ⁶⁰Co and ¹³⁷Cs by the application of an electric current of 20 mA/cm² were increased by 1.6 and 3.9% more than those by the application of 10 mA/cm². The removal efficiencies of ⁶⁰Co and ¹³⁷Cs from the radioactive concrete of 1,940 Bq/kg were 99.8 and 92.3% by electrokinetic decontamination after pretreatment by the application of an electric current of 20 mA/cm² for 25 days.     

Superabsorbent resin of acrylic acid/ammonium acrylate copolymers synthesized by ultraviolet photopolymerization

A new method of synthesizing a superabsorbent resin (SAR) from an acrylic acid/ammonium acrylate copolymer by direct UV photopolymerization was studied. The effects of the degree of neutralization of acrylic acid, the photoinitiators, the crosslinking agents, and the UV‐light exposure time on the water absorbency (Q) were investigated. The results showed that Q of an SAR based on Irgacure 1700 or Irgacure 1800 and Irgacure 651 was high, reaching about 1200 mL/g, but under the same conditions, Q was low for an SAR based on other photoinitiators. The UV absorption spectrum proved that the photoinitiators matched the UV light source. Among the crosslinking agents, N,N′‐methylene bisacrylamide was more efficient than the others at a small concentration and a high value of Q. ¹³C‐NMR spectrometry was used to identify the mechanism of the crosslinking reaction through the esterification of hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) and 2‐hydroxypropyl acrylate with carboxylic acid group in acrylic acid/ammonium acrylate copolymerization, but the efficiency of the crosslinking reaction by esterification was lower than that of the copolymerization of vinyl groups in the crosslinking agent. Q of the acrylic acid/ammonium acrylate copolymer for the SAR reached 1255 mL/g under certain conditions (degree of neutralization of acrylic acid = 75%, Irgacure 651 concentration = 0.2 wt %, [HEA] = 0.2 wt %, exposure time = 10 min). © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 95: 546–555, 2005     

Starch-graft-poly(methyl acrylate) copolymer: the new approach to synthesis and copolymer characterization

The two-stage method for poly(methyl acrylate) grafting starch using triethylborane and 1,4-benzoquinone has been developed. The first stage was borylation of alcohol groups of starch. The second stage was polymerization of methyl acrylate in the inhibitor - 1,4-benzoquinone - presence accompanied by the S _H 2-substitution at the boron atom. The advantages of developed method were the homogeneity of the process, the high yield of graft-copolymer, the possibility to control of chain length of synthetic polymer, and the absence of homopolymer in the final product. The molecular weight characteristics of starch-graft-poly(methyl acrylate) copolymer was determined by gel-permeation chromatography. The evidence of the graft-copolymer formation was ¹¹B nuclear magnetic resonance data and its glass-transition temperature. The resulting graft-copolymer has an amphiphilic nature and a high thermal stability compared to the corresponding homopolymers (starch and poly(methyl acrylate)). According to the calculated values of the surface Gibbs energy the surface of starch-graft-poly(methyl acrylate) films is characterized as a high-energy surface.