INVESTIGATIONS ON VINYLENE CARBONATE .4. RADIATION-INDUCED GRAFT-COPOLYMERIZATION OF VINYLENE CARBONATE AND N-VINYL-N-METHYLACETAMIDE ONTO POLYETHYLENE FILMS

Graft copolymerization of binary mixtures of vinylene carbonate (VCA) and N-vinyl N-methylacetamide (VIMA) onto low density polyethylene (LDPE) films was studied by the mutual gamma-irradiation technique. Sufficient amounts of functionally active VCA groups could be grafted onto the surface and the hydrophilicity of the surface was also improved. The grafting of VCA onto polyethylene films in the binary solutions was found to be promoted by the presence of VIMA, thus showing a positive synergism. The VCA content in the graft copolymers was always higher than in the copolymers obtained by homogeneous copolymerization using the same monomer feed composition. The monomer reactivity ratios, as well as a preferential partitioning of the monomers surrounding the polymeric substrate, were considered to explain the grafting reactions in the binary systems.