Crosslinking of cellulosics by high energy radiation. II

Journal Article · Mon May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1961 · Journal of Polymer Science

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/pol.1961.120510121· OSTI ID:4039732

Leavitt, Frederick C.

Nonionic water-soluble cellulose ethers were crosslinked by irradiation with high energy electrons in aqueous solution. The unexpected behavior of cellulosics toward radiation is reproducible. Crosslinking and chain scission are competitive reactions; nevertheless, conditions are described for obtaining one or the other as the predominant reaction. It is proposed that the mechanism is free radical in nature. High beta radiation dose rates (Van de Graaff generator) are necessary to crosslink substantial amounts of polymer. Low dose rates fail to yield crosslinked products. Degradation, oxidation, and cleavage of substituent groups occur over a wide range of radiation dose rates. The viscosity of the medium also plays a major role in determining whether crosslinking will take place. Highly viscous solutions with limited freedom of chain motion are degraded until the viscosity is sufficiently low to allow free bimolecular coupling reactions; then a gelled system forms immediately. Carboxylated cellulosics were not crosslinked by this method. Samples examined were degraded at all levels of radiation. The crosslinked cellulose derivatives included methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, methyl hydroxypropyl cellulose, and methyl hydroxybutyl cellulose. (auth)

• Research Organization: Dow Chemical Co., Framingham, Mass.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-15-023543
• OSTI ID: 4039732
• Journal Information: Journal of Polymer Science, Vol. 51, Issue 1; Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-61; ISSN 0022-3832
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CHEMISTRY
BETA PARTICLES
BUTYL RADICALS
CELLULOSE
CROSS-LINKING
DECOMPOSITION
ELECTRONS
ETHYL RADICALS
FREE RADICALS
GENERATORS
HYDROXIDES
INTERACTIONS
IRRADIATION
METHYL RADICALS
MOLECULES
OXIDATION
POLYMERIZATION
POLYMERS
PROPYL RADICALS
RADIATION DOSES
REACTION KINETICS
SOLUBILITY
VAN DE GRAAFF ACCELERATORS
VISCOSITY
WATER