Synthesis and characterization of polyethylene modified through phase-transfer-catalyzed graft copolymerization

Abstract

In an effort to impart biodegradability, polyethylene (PE) was modified through the graft copolymerization of vinyl monomers such as acrylamide (AAm) and acrylic acid (AAc) by a phase-transfer-catalyst method. The grafting percentage of AAm and AAc for PE was found to be dependent on the dibenzoyl peroxide concentration, monomer concentration, time, temperature, and concentration of the phase-transfer catalyst. Some AAm- and AAc-grafted PE samples were prepared by chemical, UV, and γ-radiation methods. The biodegradation of samples of PE, polyethylene-g-polyacrylamide, and polyethylene-g-poly(acrylic acid) prepared by all these methods was studied. The weight loss of the samples over a period of time was observed with soil-burial tests. The grafted samples prepared by the phase-transfer-catalyst method showed better biodegradation results than those prepared by other methods of grafting. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008