CHEMICAL MODIFICATION OF JUTE FIBERS .2. A STUDY ON THE FE2+/H2O2-INITIATED GRAFT-COPOLYMERIZATION OF METHYL-METHACRYLATE, ACRYLONITRILE, AND ACRYLAMIDE ONTO JUTE FIBERS

The study of graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, and acrylamide onto both defatted and bleached jute fibers using the ferrous ammonium sulfate/H2O2 redox initiator system has been made. To determine the optimum conditions of grafting, the effects of concentrations of ferrous ammonium sulfate, monomer, H2O2; time and temperature on percentage of graft yield have been studied. Acrylamide was found to graft onto the fiber only at a fixed ferrous ammonium ion concentration (5 x 10(-4) M). Kinetic studies showed that the rates of grafting follow the second-order mechanism. The activation energies of the reactions were found to be 3.351 and 2.53 kcal/mol in the methyl methacrylate and acrylonitrile systems, respectively. The grafted fibers have been characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, IR spectroscopy, and XRD studies.