Grafting of formaldehyde‐crosslinked and cyanoethylated cotton cellulose with acrylate monomers

Abstract

AbstractFormaldehyde‐crosslinked cotton and cyanoethylated cotton were grafted with methyl, ethyl, and n‐butyl acrylates and methyl methacrylate using ceric ion as initiator. It was observed that the graft yields for formaldehyde‐crosslinked cotton were significantly higher than those for native cotton. An increase in the bound formaldehyde resulted initially in a decrease in molecular weight of grafts; but later on, an increase was observed. In the case of cyanoethylated cottons, increasing the degree of substitution resulted in increase in graft yields. Molecular weights of the grafts increase up to a D.S. of 0.3, after which they decrease. These results are interpreted in terms of rates of initiation and termination being influenced by production of additional sites due to swelling of cellulose fibers.