Synthesis of Graft Copolymers of Acrylamide and Comonomers on to Cellulose: A Study of the Effect of Comonomer on Polymer Yields, Structure and Properties

Abstract

Cellulose extracted from pine needles was graft copolymerized with acrylamide using benzoyl peroxide as initiator. Following a novel synthetic strategy and using the optimum reaction conditions evaluated for the grafting of acrylamide, some comonomers viz: glycidyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, acrylic acid and acrylonitrile have been grafted along with acrylamide using five different concentrations of the comonomers. SEM, FT-IR and thermal studies of graft copolymers were carried to obtain evidence of the incorporation of acrylamide and comonomers into cellulose. Reactivity of acrylamide in grafting reactions alone and in the presence of comonomers has been studied. The molar ratio of acrylamide and comonomers, and hence the structure of the graft chain remains independent of the comonomer concentration in the feed. It has also been observed that compared to acrylamide, less acrylonitrile was incorporated while far higher amount of the methacrylates were incorporated in the graft chain.