The xanthate method of grafting. V. Graftability of mechanical pulp

Abstract

AbstractSoftwood mechanical pulp was copolymerized with acrylonitrile using the xanthate redox grafting process. Experiments carried out under different reaction conditions (temperature, H2O2, concentration, pH, reaction time) showed that mechanical pulp is less apt to form graft copolymers than chemical pulps. In most cases, long inhibition periods were observed, and the product formed thereafter contained large quantities of homopolymer. It was not possible to raise grafting efficiency by increasing the concentration of hydrogen peroxide. A series of experiments with pulps having different particle size showed a moderate increase in total conversation to polymer with decreasing mean fiber length. The latter, however, produced little influence on the copolymer/homopolymer ratio.