NOVEL ADDITIVES FOR ACCELERATING RADIATION GRAFTING AND CURING REACTIONS

The value of additives for increasing yields in radiation grafting reactions is discussed. The possible significance of the work in concurrent grafting during radiation curing is evaluated. Additives previously found to be effective in radiation grafting and reviewed here include acids, inorganic salts, organic inclusion compounds like urea, multifunctional acrylates and methacrylates. Synergistic effects in performance between the first three groups and the latter two have also been observed. Two new classes of compounds as additives in radiation grafting are reported and their reactivities compared with the earlier series. These new additives are oligomer acrylates and photoinitiators. In a mechanistic discussion related to these additives, a novel proposal involving partitioning phenomena is outlined to explain their modes of action.