Fine structure of cellophane–acrylamide graft copolymer by the ceric ion method

Abstract

AbstractThe relationship between the grafting yield and the structure of graft copolymer is studied by measuring the branched chain lengths, the number of branches, the crystallinities, and the diffraction intensities of the (101) and (101) + (002) planes determined by x‐ray diffraction, and the distribution of branched polymers, observed by interferometry. Over a relatively wide range of grafting yield the number of initiating sites is almost constant and about 1–2 per 2 moles of cellulose chain. Therefore, the increase of grafting yield seems to be due mainly to the propagation of branched polymers. Branched polymers are assumed to be formed in cellulose crystallites both on the normal (101) planes and in the amorphous regions of cellulose. It is found that branched polymers grow from the outer layer into the inner part of the film as the grafting yield increases. At more than 250% of grafting yield, however, branched polymers are uniformly formed throughout the layer of film in which the crystalline regions of cellulose are gradually destroyed. This result agrees with the dimensional change of gel film during the reaction. The temperature dependence of tensile strength and elongation and the wet strength of graft copolymer are also investigated. At higher grafting yields, such as 250%, the crystalline structure of cellulose is disturbed by the formation of branched polymer, and no improvement in waterproofness can be expected from grafting; the secondary bonding between branched polymers may be presumed to be same as those among cellulose. In addition, the fine cracking of the film in the burst state is found to appear more easily as the grafting yield increases, in which the aggregating state of cellulose is recognized to be changed by the formation of branched polymer.