Synthesis and kinetics of ascorbic acid initiated graft copolymerized delignified cellulosic fiber

Graft copolymerization of delignified Grewia optiva fiber with methyl methacrylate (MMA) as vinyl monomer was attempted using ascorbic acid/H₂O₂ as redox initiator. Different reaction conditions affecting the grafting percentage (P_g) were optimized to get the maximum P_g (32.56%) of MMA onto delignified Grewia optiva fibers. Grafted and ungrafted fibers were subsequently subjected to evaluation of physico‐chemical properties such as swelling behavior and acid and alkali resistance. The rate expression for the grafting reaction (R_g = k [ASC]^0.12 [H₂O₂]^0.53 [MMA]^0.05) was evaluated and a suitable mechanism for grafting was suggested. The overall activation energy of the copolymerization reaction was found as 11.97 kJ mol^?1 at temperature range 25–65°C. Further, morphological and structural analysis of raw, delignified, and grafted Grewia optiva‐g‐poly(MMA) were studied by using Fourier‐transform Infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis.The tensile properties of grafted and ungrafted fiber samples were also reported. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:474–484, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Graft copolymerization of an itaconic acid/acrylamide monomer mixture onto poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers with benzoyl peroxide

A mixture of acrylamide (AAm) and itaconic acid (IA) was grafted onto poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fibers with benzoyl peroxide in aqueous media. The effects of polymerization conditions such as the temperature, polymerization time, initiator concentration, and monomer mixture ratio on grafting were investigated. The maximum graft yield was 76.1% with an AAm/IA mixture ratio of 90/10 (mol/mol). The graft yield was as low as 3% in the single grafting of IA, whereas the use of AAm as a comonomer increased the amount of IA that entered the fiber structure to 33.5%. An increase in the temperature from 65 to 85°C increased the grafting rate and saturation graft yield. However, an increase in the temperature above 85°C decreased the saturation graft yield. The graft yield increased up to an initiator concentration of 1.0 × 10^?2 M and decreased afterwards. The grafting rate was 0.65th‐ and 0.74th‐order with respect to the initiator and AAm concentrations, respectively. The densities, diameters, and moisture‐regain values of the AAm/IA‐grafted PET fibers increased with the graft yield. Similarly, there was an increase in the dyeability of the AAm/IA‐grafted fibers with acidic and basic dyes. The grafted fibers were characterized with Fourier transform infrared and thermogravimetric analysis, and their morphologies were examined with scanning electron microscopy. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 1795–1803, 2005     

Graft copolymerization of PU membranes with acrylic acid and crotonic acid using benzoyl peroxide initiator

To improve water wettability of polyurethane (PU), graft copolymerization with acrylic acid (AA) and crotonic acid (CA) was performed using a benzoyl peroxide (BO) initiator. The grafting reaction was carried out by placing the membranes in aqueous solutions of AA and CA at constant temperatures. Variations of graft yield with time, temperature, initiator, and monomer concentrations were investigated. The optimum temperature, polymerization time, monomer, and initiator concentrations for AA were found to be 70°C; 3 h; 1.5 M; 5.0 × 10^?2 M, and for CA 70°C; 1 h; 1.5 M; 4.0 × 10^?2 M, respectively. The grafting membranes were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, and the effect of grafting on equilibrium water content (EWC) of PU membranes was obtained by swelling measurements. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 2690–2695, 2001     

Preparation and characterization of henequen cellulose grafted with methyl methacrylate and its application in composites

The grafting polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and cellulose from henequen (Agave fourcroydes) is investigated as a function of the initiator concentration (cerium-and-ammonium nitrate) and the monomer/cellulose ratio. The formation of cellulose-g-PMMA is confirmed by IR spectroscopy, DSC, and TGA. Both the initiator concentration and the MMA/cellulose ratio have a strong influence over the grafting parameters and over the molecular weight of the grafted PMMA. A higher initiator concentration and a lower monomer/cellulose ratio result in a lower molecular weight of the grafted polymer. Increasing the amount and the molecular weight of the grafted PMMA increases the compatibility of the fibers with SAN and PVC, as demonstrated by a mechanical test and scanning electron microscopy. SAN and PVC composites made with grafted cellulose exhibit higher flexural and tensile moduli, respectively, than those produced with the ungrafted fibers. Both moduli increase as the amount of reinforcement increases. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 66: 339–346, 1997     

Surface modification of cellulose filter paper by glycidyl methacrylate grafting for biomolecule immobilization: Influence of grafting parameters and urease immobilization

Graft copolymerization of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) onto cellulose filter paper (CFP) was carried out by a free‐radical initiating process using ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) as an initiator. Optimum conditions pertaining to different grafting percentages were evaluated as a function of monomer and initiator concentrations, polymerization time and temperature. CFP with various graft levels of GMA was characterized by fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). Surface morphology of ungrafted and grafted CFP was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Attenuated total reflectance (ATR)‐FTIR spectral analysis provided the evidence of grafting of GMA onto CFP. The maximum grafting of 102% was achieved by using 4 × 10^?3 molL^?1 CAN and 5% of GMA (w/v) monomer at 60°C in 25 min. The CFP‐g‐GMA surfaces with different graft levels were evaluated as a support for immobilization of biomolecules. Urease was selected as the model enzyme to be covalently coupled through the surface epoxy groups of the CFP‐g‐GMA discs. Immobilized discs were further studied for urea estimation and their reusability. Although the highest degree of urease immobilization was observed at 100% (162‐μg urease/disc) graft level, the urease immobilized on discs with 70% (105‐μg urease/disc) graft level gave the maximum activity of the enzyme. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Graft copolymerization with a new class of acidic peroxo salts as initiator. V. Grafting of methyl methacrylate onto jute fiber using potassium monopersulfate catalyzed by Fe(II)

Graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) onto jute fibers was studied in an aqueous solution using a new class of acidic peroxo salt, potassium monopersulfate, as initiator, under the catalytic influence of Fe(II) under nitrogen atmosphere. The grafting reaction was influenced by the reaction time, temperature, and concentrations of monomer, initiator, and jute fibers. The grafting reactions have also been studied in the presence of various salts and solvents. The maximum grafting percent (385.4%) has been observed at 35°C for the concentration of monomer (1.4082M), initiator (12.9 × 10^?3M), catalyst (2.5 × 10^?4M), and solvent (acetic acid) composition of (40:60) for a reaction time of 6 h. From the experimental results a suitable mechanism for the graft initiation and termination has been put forth. The graft copolymers have been characterized, and their improved properties such as tensil strength tested.     

Study of methyl‐methacrylate‐viscose fiber graft copolymerization and the effect of grafting on thermal properties

The graft copolymerization of methyl‐methacrylate onto viscose fibers was studied under photoactive conditions with visible light using Ce⁴⁺/Ti³⁺ combination as redox initiator in a limited aqueous medium. Polymerization conducted in the presence of light at 30 ± 1°C produced significant grafting, compared with that conducted in the dark under the same conditions. The % grafting, % total conversion, and % grafting efficiency were studied by varying time, monomer concentration, initiator concentration, and pH of the medium. The mechanism of polymerization and graft copolymer formation have been discussed. Characterization of the grafted fibers was done by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The effect of % grafting on thermal properties was studied by thermogravimetric analysis. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 72: 135–140, 1999     

Chemically induced graft copolymerization of vinyl monomers onto cotton fibers

We investigated the chemically induced graft copolymerizations of acrylic acid (AA), acrylamide, crotonic acid, and itaconic acid (IA) onto cotton fibers. Benzoyl peroxide was used as an initiator. The effects of grafting temperature, grafting time, and monomer and initiator concentrations on the grafting yields were studied, and optimum grafting conditions were determined for the sample material. The maximum grafting yield value obtained was 23.8% for AA. Swelling tests, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy analyses of grafted and ungrafted fibers were also performed to characterize fiber properties. IA‐grafted fibers were measured as the most swollen fibers, with a swelling value of 510%. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 2343–2347, 2006     

Studies on graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate onto chemically modified tussa silk fibers. Peroxydisulfate-thiourea redox system

The graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) onto chemically modified tussa silk fibers in aqueous media using potassium peroxodisulfate-thiourea redox initiator system was studied at 60°C. The effects of time of reaction, concentrations of oxidant, thiourea (TU), monomer (M), amount of silk fibers on graft yield have been studied. The effects of reaction medium, acid concentration, and some inorganic salts and organic solvents on grafting have also been investigated. A significant increase in percent of grafting was observed with increasing monomer concentration to 65.86 · 10^?2 mol · 1^?1; a further increase of monomer concentration is associated with the decrease of graft yield. The graft yield increases with an increase of thiourea concentration up to 10 · 10^?1 mol · 1^?1, beyond which it decreases very significantly. A measurable increase of the graft yield was also observed with an increase of the oxidant concentration up to 0.08 mol · 1^?1 beyond which the graft yield decreased. The graft yield was medium dependent. The reaction mechanism of the grafting process has been proposed and a rate expression has been derived on the basis of experimental findings. IR spectra of the grafted fiber and original fiber have been taken and their characteristic bands have been identified. The thermal behaviour of the original and grafted silk fibers has been studied by TGA and DTG analysis. Grafting has improved thermal stability as well as the light fastness of silk dyed with Rhodamine B.     

Graft copolymerization of n-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone on dimethyl sulfoxide pretreated poly(ethylene terephthalate) films using azobisisobutyronitrile initiator

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films were grafted with n-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (n-VP) using an azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) initiator. Films were pre-treated in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) for 1 h at 140°C before the polymerization reaction was carried out. Variations of graft yield with time, temperature, initiator, and monomer concentrations were investigated. The optimum temperature and polymerization time was found to be 70°C and 4 h, respectively. Increasing monomer concentration from 0.28 to 1.22M and initiator concentration from 1.77 × 10⁻³ to 4.20 × 10⁻³M enhanced the percent grafting. The effects of monomer and initiator diffusion on PET films were also studied. The overall activation energy for grafting was calculated as 11.5 kcal/mol. Further changes in properties of PET films such as water-absorption capacity and intrinsic viscosity were determined. The grafted films were characterized with FTIR and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 64: 1437–1444, 1997     

Structure and properties of cellulose graft copolymers. II. Cellulose–styrene graft copolymers synthesized by the ceric ion method

Styrene was graft-copolymerized onto wood cellulose by the ceric ion method of Mino and Kaizerman. The grafting reaction was found to depend strongly on the concentration of ceric ion in the grafting system and maximum grafting occurred in a narrow range of concentration of initiator, 1.0 × 10^?3-1.8 × 10^?3 mol/l, at 58 ± 1°C. A pretreatment technique, developed to enhance the monomer diffusion into cellulose, was found to increase the grafting considerably. The structures of the cellulose-styrene graft copolymers were studied by hydrolyzing away the cellulose backbone to isolate the grafted polystyrene branches. The molecular weight and the molecular weight distributions of the grafted polystyrene were determined using gel permeation chromatography. The number-average molecular weight (M?_n) ranged from 23,000 to 453,000 and the polydispersity ratios (M?_w/M?_n) varied from 2.5 to 8.0. The grafting frequencies calculated from the per cent grafting and molecular weight data were of the order of 0.05–0.4 polystyrene branches per cellulose chain.     

Ceric ion‐induced graft copolymerization of acrylamide on cationic guar gum at low temperature

The solution polymerization of acrylamide (AM) on cationic guar gum (CGG) under nitrogen atmosphere using ceric ammonium sulfate (CAS) as the initiator has been realized. The effects of monomer concentration and reaction temperature on grafting conversion, grafting ratio, and grafting efficiency (GE) have been studied. The optimal conditions such as 1.3 mol of AM monomer and 2.2 × 10^?4 mol of CAS have been adopted to produce grafted copolymer (CGG1‐g‐PAM) of high GE of more than 95% at 10°C. The rates of polymerization (R_p) and rates of graft copolymerization (R_g) are enhanced with increase in temperature (<35°C).The R_p is enhanced from 0.43 × 10^?4 mol L^?1 s^?1 for GG‐g‐PAM to 2.53 × 10^?4 mol L^?1 s^?1 for CGG1‐g‐PAM (CGG1, degree of substitute (DS) = 0.007), and R_g from 0.42 × 10^?4 to 2.00 × 10^?4 mol L^?1 s^?1 at 10°C. The apparent activation energy is decreased from 32.27 kJ mol^?1 for GG‐g‐PAM to 8.09 kJ mol^?1 for CGG1‐g‐PAM, which indicates CGG has higher reactivity than unmodified GG ranging from 10 to 50°C. Increase of DS of CGG will lead to slow improvement of the polymerization rates and a hypothetical mechanism is put forward. The grafted copolymer has been characterized by infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 3715–3722, 2007     

Synthesis and characterization of PET fibers grafted with binary mixture of 2-methylpropenoic acid and acrylonitrile by free radical: its application in removal of cationic dye

Grafting of binary vinyl monomer mixtures such as 2-methylpropenoic acid (MPA) and acrylonitrile (AN) onto poly (ethylene terephthalate) fibers (PET) was achieved in an aqueous medium with using benzoyl peroxide like free radical initiator. A new reactively fibrous adsorbent was used for removal of dye such as methylene blue (MB) from aqueous media through batch sorption method. Fibers adsorbent was swelled in solution to support the graft and the subsequent polymerization of MPA/AN onto polyester fibers. Optimum conditions for grafting were discovered and reactive fiber were characterized. Variations of graft yield with time, temperature, initiator concentration and monomer mixture ratio were investigated. The optimum initiator concentration was found to be 8 × 10^?3 mol/L. The percentage of grafting rose steadily with the vinyl monomer mixture monomer concentration (50 %). The optimum temperature and polymerization time were found to be 80 °C and 120 min, respectively. The use of AN and MPA monomers together in grafting produce a significant increased in the graft yield. Experimental studies showed that the percentage removal of MB was a great higher on the MPA/AN grafted PET (MPA/AN-g-PET) fibers than on the original PET fibers. The adsorbed quantity of MB improved with pH and basic pH was appropriate for the elimination of MB. MPA/AN-g-PET fibers removed 98 % of cationic dye when initial concentration diverse from 10 to 80 mg L^?1 at pH 9.0. Almost all of the adsorbed cationic dye was eluted by ethanoic acid in methanol. Ten removal–desorption cycles indicated that the reactive fibers were favorable for repetitive use without notable change in removal capacity. Consequently, the MPA/AN-g-PET fibers have demonstrated potential as an effective adsorbent for the extremely effective removal of cationic dyes from aqueous media.     

Thermal stability of grafted fibers

This paper presents the experimental results on the study of thermal stability of grafted fibers, i.e., polypropylene-, polyester-, and rayon-grafted fibers. These fibers were obtained by radiation grafting processes using hydrophylic monomers such as 1-vinyl 2-pyrrolidone, acrylic acid, N-methylol acrylamide, and acrylonitrile. The thermal stability of the fibers was studied using a Shimadzu Thermal Analyzer DT-30. It was found that the thermal stability of the fibers, which can be indicated by the value of the activation energy for thermal degradation, was not much improved by radiation grafting. The degree of improvement depends on the thermal stability of the monomers used for grafting. The thermal stability of a polypropylene fiber, either a grafted or an ungrafted one, was found to be inferior compared to the polyester of a rayon fiber, which may be due to the lack of C?O and C?C bonds in the polypropylene molecules. The thermal stability of a fiber grafted with acrylonitrile monomer was found to be better than that of an ungrafted one. However, no improvement was detected in the fibers grafted with 1-vinyl 2-pyrrolidone monomer, which may be due to the lower thermal stability of poly(1-vinyl–2-pyrrolidone), compared to the polypropylene or polyester fibers.     

4-Vinylpyridine and 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate monomer mixture graft copolymerization onto poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers using benzoyl peroxide

Summary Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fibers were grafted with 4-vinyl pyridine (4-VP) and 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) using benzoyl peroxide (Bz₂O₂) as initiator in aqueous media. PET fibers were swelled in dichloroethane (DCE) for 2 h at 90 °C to promote the incorporation and the subsequent polymerization of 4-VP/HEMA onto PET fibers. Variations of graft yield with time, temperature, initiator concentration and monomer mixture ratio were investigated. The optimum initiator concentration was found to be 8×10^-3 mol/L. The maximum graft yield was obtained 280%. The optimum temperature and polymerization time was found to be 85 °C and 100 min. respectively. The rate of grafting was found to be proportional of the 1.5 and 0.3 powers of 4-VP/HEMA and Bz₂O₂ concentrations, respectively. The grafted PET fibers were characterized by thermo gravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Further changes in properties of grafted PET fibers such as water absorption capacity, intrinsic viscosity and diameter were determined. The dye ability of the PET fibers increased with an increase in grafting with diazo and basic dyes.     

Graft copolymerization of acrylic acid onto cellulose: Effects of pretreatments and crosslinking agent

The graft copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) and 2‐acrylamido 2‐methylpropane sulfonic acid (AASO₃H) onto cellulose, in the presence or absence of crosslinking agent N,N′‐methylene bisacrylamide (NMBA), by using different concentrations of ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) initiator in aqueous nitric acid solution at either 5 or 30°C was investigated. To investigate the effect of pretreatment of cellulose on the copolymerization, before some grafting reactions cellulose was pretreated with either 2 or 20 wt % NaOH solutions or heated in distilled water/aqueous nitric acid (2.5 × 10^?3 M) at 55°C. To determine how the excess of initiator affects the grafting and homopolymerization, separate reactions were carried out by removing the excess of ceric ions by filtration of the mixture of initiator solution and cellulose before the monomer addition. Extraction‐purified products were characterized by grafting percentage and equilibrium swelling capacity. Pretreatment of cellulose with NaOH solutions decreased the grafting percentage of copolymers. In the case of AA–AASO₃H mixtures, nonpretreated cellulose gave a higher grafting percentage than NaOH‐pretreated cellulose. Filtration also lowered the grafting of AA on the cellulose in the cases of pretreatment with either water or nitric acid. Copolymers with the highest grafting percentage (64.8%) and equilibrium swelling value (105 g H₂O/g copolymer) were obtained in grafting reactions carried out in the presence of NMBA at 5°C. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 2267–2272, 2001     

A pH‐sensitive porous chitosan membrane prepared via surface grafting copolymerization in supercritical carbon dioxide

We report the successful grafting copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) on a crosslinked porous chitosan membrane in supercritical carbon dioxide at pressures ranging from 13 to 25 MPa with the use of benzyl peroxide (BPO) as the reduction–oxidation free radical initiator. The effects of reaction pressure, initiator concentration, monomer concentration, reaction temperature and reaction time on grafting yield (GY) were investigated. GY initially increases and then decreases with increasing polymerization temperature and AA and BPO concentrations. The optimum grafting conditions to obtain maximum GY are as follows: 8 h reaction time, 80 °C reaction temperature, 3.05 × 10^?2 g mL^?1 AA concentration, 3 × 10^?3 g mL^?1 BPO concentration and 16 MPa reaction pressure. The water flux of the grafted chitosan membranes decreases with pH from 2 to 7, even at considerably low GY (0.95 wt%). A novel and green modification method has been developed for the preparation of biopolymer‐based membranes. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and characterization of starch‐poly(methyl methacrylate) graft copolymers

The graft copolymerization was carried out by methyl methacrylate with starch in which azobisisobutyronitrile was used as an initiator. The grafting reactions were carried out within a 65–95°C temperature range, and the effect of the monomer, initiator concentrations, and the amount of starch on the graft yield were also investigated. The maximum graft yield was obtained at a azobisisobutyronitrile concentration of 2.0 × 10^?3 mol/L. The overall rate activation energy of the reaction was found to be 89.42 kJ/mol. The grafted starches were characterized with infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetry. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 53–57, 2002     

Graft copolymerization with new class of acidic peroxo salts as initiators. I. Grafting of acrylamide onto cotton–cellulose using potassium monopersulfate,catalyzed by co(II)

Graft copolymerization of acrylamide (AM) onto cotton–cellulose has been studied using a new class of acidic peroxo-salt “potassium monopersulfate” as initiator catalyzed by Co(II). It is observed that the graft yield is influenced by the reaction time, temperature, and concentrations of the monomer, catalyst, initiator, at fixed weight of the polymer. Maximum graft yield (30.8%) is obtained at 40°C under nitrogen atmosphere for the concentrations of monomer 1.2M; initiator 4.83 × 10^?3M; Co(II) 5 × 10^?4M for 4 h of reaction time. The graft copolymers after proper purification have been subjected to IR analysis, testing of their water-retention properties, rot resistance, tensile properties, and behavior towards acids and alkalies. The results of such analysis are compared with the base. Suitable mechanism for the graft copolymerization is suggested and grafting rate has been evaluated.     

Graft copolymerization of vinyl monomers onto silk fibers initiated by a semiconductor‐based photocatalyst

Graft copolymerization onto silk (Bombyx mori) was carried out with vinyl monomers (methyl methacrylate and acrylamide) and initiated by a semiconductor‐based photocatalyst (cadmium sulfide). The utility of a semiconductor as an initiator in free‐radical photografting and the effects of ethylene glycol and triethylamine with cadmium sulfide on graft copolymerization were explored. Depending on the reaction conditions, 10–48% grafting with methyl methacrylate and 4–26% grafting with acrylamide were achieved. The reaction conditions were optimized, and the grafted fibers were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry analysis, and tensile strength measurements. The chemical resistance and water absorption of the grafted fibers were compared with those ungrafted fibers. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007