Homogeneous graft copolymerization of vinyl monomers onto cellulose in a dimethyl sulfoxide舑paraformaldehyde solvent system iii. Methyl acrylate

Abstract

Homogeneous graft copolymerization of methyl acrylate (MA) onto cellulose was carried out in a dimethyl sulfoxide舑paraformaldehyde solvent system. Ammonium persulfate (APS), benzoyl peroxide (BPO), and azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) were used as radical initiators. The optimum grafting condition and the number of grafts per cellulose chain for each monomer舑initiator system were determined as functions of polymerization temperature and concentrations of monomer, initiator, and cellulose. Grafting onto cellulose proceeded in the MA舑APS system, but hardly at all in the MA舑BPO and MA舑AIBN systems. The number of grafts was found to be 1.5 at most in the MA舑APS system. BPO was found unsuitable as a grafting initiator due to the degradation of the cellulose chains. © 1983 The Society of Polymer Science, Japan.