Polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate,methacrylic acid,acrylamide and their mixtures with cotton fabric using fe2+-thioureadioxide-H2O2 redox system

Polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), methacrylic acid (MAA), acrylamide (Aam) and their binary mixtures with cotton cellulose fabrics using Fe²⁺-thioureadioxide-H₂O₂ redox system was investigated under a variety of conditions. While temperatures of 50, 80, 65, and 95°C constituted the optimal polymerization temperature for GMA, MAA, Aam and GMA/MAA (8:2), respectively, maximum polymerization of GMA/MAA (2:8), Aam/MAA (8:2) and Aam/MAA (2:8) occurred at 75°C. The polymerization reaction proceeded initially very fast then levelled off irrespective of the monomer or monomer mixtures used. However, the magnitude of the polymer add-on at levelling off of polymerization followed the order GMA > GMA/MAA (2:8) ≥ GMA/MAA (8:2) > Aam/MAA (2:8) ≥ MAA ≥ Aam/MAA (8:2) > Aam. The polymer add-on enhanced by increasing the H₂O₂ concentration up to a certain limit and then decreased. The same situation was encountered with respect to thioureadioxide concentration. The involvement of the epoxy ring of GMA with MAA during polymerization of their mixture with cellulose occurred only at a higher ratio of GMA in the mixture. Also a significant contribution of Aam in the polymer add-on obtained with a Aam/MAA mixture could only be achieved at a higher ratio of Aam in this mixture.