Grafting of a styrene–acrylonitrile binary monomer mixture onto cellulose extracted from pine needles

In an attempt to develop new reactive membrane materials, we graft‐copolymerized styrene (Sty) and acrylonitrile (AN) onto cellulose extracted from pine needles by a chemical initiation method. The optimum grafting reaction conditions for Sty onto cellulose were earlier evaluated as Sty] = 656.25 mmol/L and potassium persulfate–ferrous ammonium sulfate] = 146.3:12.75mmol/L in 20 mL of H₂O with a reaction time of 3 h and a reaction temperature of 60°C for 1 g of cellulose. Under these conditions, Sty was graft‐copolymerized with AN at five different concentrations of the latter. Grafting parameters and different rates of concentration were evaluated. The effects of additives such as ZnCl₂, LiNO₃, and Cu(NO)₃ were studied at the best comonomer concentration of Sty–AN. In the presence of ZnCl₂, Sty–AN graft‐copolymerized in an alternate way, thus, making it evident that ZnCl₂ coordinated to form a “complexomer,” or complex of monomers Sty^?AN⁺…ZnCl₂], of two monomers. Evidence of the structural characteristics of grafted chains were provided by characterization with elemental analysis, thermal analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 2000–2007, 2002