GRAFTING POLYMERS ONTO CELLULOSE BY HIGH-ENERGY RADIATION. II. EFFECT OF SWELLING AGENTS ON THE GAMMA-RAY INDUCED DIRECT RADIATION GRAFTING OF STYRENE ONTO CELLULOSE

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1963 · J. Polymer Sci.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/polc.5070020117· OSTI ID:4683808

Huang, R Y.-M.; Rapson, W H

The direct radiation graft copolymerization of styrene onto cotton cellulose and rayon by gamma irradiatron from a Co/sup 60/ source at a high dose rate of 1.4 Mrads/hr was investi-gated. The grafting was carried out in air at radiation doses in the range of 0 to 8 Mrads. Varying amounts of grafting of up to several hundred per cent were obtained by controlling reaction variables of cellulose preswelling, total radiation dose, and styrene-solvent composition. No grafting was obtained when unconditioned cellulose was irradiated in bulk styrene. Grafting occurred readily, however, when the cellulose was first preswollen with a polar swelling agent such as water, formamide, formic acid, or dimethyl sulfoxide, then placed in bulk styrene or styrene-solvent solution and irradiated. The effect of water in the radiation grafting was investigated. In bulk styrene, for a given radiation dose, grafting was found to depend on the water content of the preswollen cellulose. For rayon, grafting increased sharply after 30% water content in rayon, passed through a maximum at 60 to 80%, and then decreased again. For cotton cellulose, grafting occurred after 10% water content, increased up to approximately 20%, and then remained constant. Efficiency of grafting was found to decrease with increasing per cent grafting and radiation dose. The effect of solvent additives such as methanol, ethanol, and acetic acid on the grafting was also studied. Strength properties, microphotographs of graftirg cross sections, and the infrared spectra of rayonpolystyrene graft copolymers are presented. (P.C.H.)

• Research Organization: Univ. of Toronto
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-17-031808
• OSTI ID: 4683808
• Journal Information: J. Polymer Sci., Journal Name: J. Polymer Sci. Vol. Vol: Pt. C, No. 2
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACETIC ACID
AIR
AMIDES
CELLULOSE
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COBALT 60
COTTON
CROSS SECTIONS
EFFICIENCY
ETHANOL
FORMIC ACID
GAMMA RADIATION
GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
GRAFT POLYMERS
INFRARED RADIATION
IRRADIATION
METHANOL
OXIDES
PHOTOGRAPHY
POLYMERIZATION
POLYMERS
POLYSTYRENE
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION SOURCES
RAYON
SOLUTIONS
SOLVENTS
SPECTRA
STYRENE
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TEXTILES
WATER