Graft Copolymerization of Methyl Acrylate onto Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB) Fiber

Abstract

Graft copolymerization of methyl acrylate (MA) onto OPEFB fiber has been successfully carried out using hydrogen peroxide and ferrous ammonium sulfate as initiators in an aqueous medium. The effects of reaction temperature, reaction period, and amount of monomer and initiators on the percentage of grafting were investigated. The results show that the percentage of grafting depends on reaction period and temperature as well as concentration of monomers and initiators. With 33.36 mmol of MA, the optimum percentage of grafting was obtained when the reaction was carried out using 6.00 mmol of H2O2 and 0.191 mmol of Fe2+ for 210 min at 75°C. The presence of the functional group in the grafted polymers was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the surface morphology. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the grafted OPEFB is thermally stable than the OPEFB