GRAFT CO-POLYMERIZATION OF VINYL MONOMERS ONTO MODIFIED COTTONS .11. CERIUM INDUCED GRAFTING OF METHYL-METHACRYLATE ONTO ALLYLATED COTTON

Grafting of methyl methacrylate onto allylated cotton having 150, 350 and 580 mmol allyl groups/100 g cellulose using tetravalent cerium as initiator was investigated. Untreated cotton and cotton treated with sodium hydroxide at a concentration identical to that used in allylation treatment were grafted under similar conditions for comparison. The alkali treated cotton showed higher grafting than allylated cotton and untreated cotton during the initial stages of the reaction. The opposite holds true during the latest stages of the reaction with the exception of allylated cotton having 580 mmol allyl groups/100g cellulose. This latter substrate showed the slowest rate of grafting. The extent and rate of homopolymer formed during grafting were dependent on the nature of the substrate. Introduction of allyl groups in the cellulose molecules seems to cause substantial changes in its characteristics. Such changes influence the relative magnitudes of grafting and homopolymer formation. Based on data for total conversion and ceric consumption during grafting and oxidation of the various substrates in question, the mode of interaction of ceric ion with allyl cellulose was elicited. Copyright © 1979 Hüthig & Wepf Verlag, Basel