| Abstract: | Jute yarns soaked for 30 min in 2‐hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) + MeOH solutions at different proportions [1–20% HEMA in MeOH (v/v)] were irradiated in situ with a UV lamp for different periods. The treated jute yarns that were washed in acetone after the irradiation to remove the unused excess monomer HEMA gained about 10% polymer loading with enhanced tensile strength (80%) and elongation (95%). The tenacity was not further increased by incorporation of a minute amount (1%) of novel additives into the HEMA + MeOH solutions, but elongation was enhanced up to 140% when the additive urethane acrylate (1%) was mixed with the solution. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 71: 841–846, 1999 |
