Synthesis and Applications of Reactive Carbohydrates Part II: Graft Polymerization of Starch and Hydrolyzed Starches with Acrylamide

Abstract

Starch and different hydrolyzed starch samples were subjected to two independent reactions, namely, grafting with acrylamide using K2S2O8 as initiator and oxidation with K2S2O8 under the grafting condition but in absence of the monomer. Copper number and carboxylic group measurements showed that both grafting and oxidation decrease outstandingly the copper number of the hydrolyzed samples and diminish completely the copper number of the original starch sample. On the contrary, grafting and oxidation cause significant enhancement in the carboxylic content, indicating partial conversion of the aldehydic to carboxylic groups under the oxidative action of K2S2O8; but it is certain that higher amounts of carboxylic groups are created in absence than in presence of acrylamide. Polymerization studies showed that the hydrolyzed starch samples are much more susceptible than the original starch sample toward grafting with acrylamide only during the initial stages of the reaction. Preliminary experiments describing introduction of methylol groups into the molecular structure of grafted sample and application of the methylolated product to cotton fabric were also reported. Copyright © 1987 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim