Kinetics of radiation-induced grafting reactions. I. Polyethylene–styrene systems

By means of bromine labeling and ESR, the grafting reactions of styrene onto preirradiated polyethylene have been investigated. Not all the radicals produced by irradiations participate in grafting reactions all together, but they are rendered active bit by bit by the swelling of crystalline parts of polyethylene. The growing rates for polystyryl graft chains at 20°C decrease from 4 monomer units/active site/sec to one-fourth the initial value after 100 min. On the contrary, the average lifetimes increase from <10³ sec to >2.6 × 10³ sec. The number-average molecular weight of graft chains also increases with reaction times and rises to 3.5 × 10⁵ after 90 min at 20°C.     

Radiation-induced graft copolymerization of mixtures of styrene and acrylamide onto cellulose acetate. III. A kinetic study

The kinetics of graft copolyermization of styrene and acrylamide from their binary monomer mixtures onto gamma-irradiated cellulose acetate film was studied. The extent of grafting increased with a rise in reaction time and temperature. The nature of the radical site on the trunk polymer was acertained in a study of grafting at different temperatures when the trunk polymer was irradiated in the presence and absence of oxygen. The character of the radical was tested further in a study of the ESR spectrum. The variation in grafting rates and energies of activation required for graft copolyermization at various mole ratios of the monomers was observed. The grafting rates showed a maximum at 1:1 mol ratio of monomers which was also associated with minimum energy of activation. The Kk_t values in the system were dependent on the composition of monomers.     

Cografting kinetics of styrene and ethyl acrylate onto polyethylene

Kinetic studies of cografting reactions of styrene (St) and ethyl acrylate (EA) onto preirradiated polyethylene (PE) have been investigated by means of bromine labeling and infrared spectroscopy. Kinetic data obtained from these methods, that is, the percent grafting, the number of graft chains, and growing rates, were obtained at temperatures of 0, 20, 40, and 50°C. The graft percent was virtually influenced by the degree of swelling. At 0°C, the mixing ratio of ethyl acrylate and styrene monomer before the beginning of the reaction was equal to the existence ratio in the graft chains after the reaction. Therefore, this reaction is considered to be diffusion-controlled. On the contrary, at 20 and 40°C, the existence ratio in graft chains after the reaction. Therefore, this reaction is considered to be diffusion-controlled. On the contrary, at 20 and 40°C, the existence ratio in graft chains agreed with the theoretical curve calculated from monomer reactivity ratio. The number of active graft chains for given times were 3～5 × 10^?7 mole/g PE and it decreased with temperature; 0 > 20 > 50°C. While the total number of graft chains is 5～15 × 10^?7 mole/g PE and it increased with temperature; 0 < 20 < 50°C. The growing rate were 1～5 monomer/site/sec for 0°C, 2～15 for 20°C.     

Studies on graft copolymerization onto cellulose derivatives. XXVII. Photo-induced graft copolymerization onto nitrocellulose

Photo-induced graft copolymerization was investigated using nitrocellulose having a different nitrogen content, especially by a noncatalytic method. The effects of a sample nitrogen content, reaction temperature, and monomer, sample, solvent and photosensitizer concentrations on the degree of grafting, the grafting efficiency, and the apparent number of grafted chains were examined. Methyl methacrylate (MMA) and methyl acrylate (MA) easily polymerized, but acrylamide (AAm), vinyl acetate (VAc), and styrene (St) scarcely polymerized. The apparent activation energies were 4.1–11.5 kcal/mol, indicating the small value in the high nitrogen content sample. The degree of grafting and the apparent number of grafted chains increased with increasing monomer and sample concentrations. In every case, the grafting efficiency was at a high level, above 90%. The polymerization did not occur without the sample in the same condition. Furthermore, a part of nitro groups split off by the irradiation of light. With respect to these results, the mechanisms of the photo graft copolymerization was discussed.     

Effect of nitrobenzene in the styrene–cellulose acetate graft polymerization system

The effect of nitrobenzene, a polymerization retarder, upon the direct γ-ray-induced graft polymerization of styrene onto pyridine-swollen cellulose acetate film was studied. When the films were not highly swollen, small nitrobenzene additions caused an increase in the amount of grafted polystyrene and grafted cellulose acetate. However, when the substrate was highly swollen, nitrobenzene additions reduced the amount of grafted polystyrene without pronounced changes in the amount of grafted cellulose acetate. The number-average molecular weights of the grafted side chains were always two to three times those of the homopolystyrene formed in the bulk monomer solution, which is indicative of hindered chain termination within the substrate film under all reaction conditions. Nitrobenzene additions prevented polystyrene crosslinking reactions, probably because the termination reactions in the presence of nitrobenzene occur by disproportionation rather than by coupling of chain ends. Viscometric results indicated that the polystyrene side chains were branched.     

Radiation-Induced Copolymerization of Styrene and Cellulose at Low Dose Rates

A study has been made of the radiation-induced grafting of styrene to cellulose in the presence of cobalt 40 gamma irradiation at low total doses and dose rates. For copolymerization, What mans 41 filter paper was immersed in solutions of styrene in methanol at various monomer concentrations. The dose rates were varied from 140 to 3100 rads/hr while the total dose varied from lo³ to 2 × 10⁵ rads.

In the presence of oxygen the grafting results showed considerable scatter, but a statistical analysis revealed that at all concentrations a linear relationship existed between total dose and graft %. Three factors contributing to the variance about the regression line were examined. Residual oxygen in the solution, while not important at high dose rates, was shown markedly to contribute to the variance in the range examined. A linear dose-rate effect involving a decrease in graft with increasing dose rate was demonstrated. A LET effect also contributed to the over-all variance. Preliminary results indicate the presence of a maximum which may be a Trommsdorff effect.     

Radiation effects on polymers—XII. Molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of cellulose acetate-grafted polyacrylamide side-chains and homopolyacrylamide using gel permeation chromatography

Calibration of gel permeation chromatography was carried out to determine molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of the side-chains and homopolymer formed during grafting of cellulose acetate with acrylamide monomer using accelerated electrons. Polyacrylamide in side-chains and in homopolymer was found to be of very high molecular weight; the grafting event was found to be as low as 1–10 polyacrylamide chains per 10³ cellulose acetate chains.     

Radiation-Induced Reactions with Cellulose. XV. Effect of Mineral and Organic Acids on Grafting of Monomers Using Ionizing Radiation

The effect of a range of inorganic and organic acids on the radiation-induced grafting of styrene in methanol to cellulose is discussed using the simultaneous method. Sulfuric acid is the most effective acid for increasing the grafting yield, hydrochloric being the next most efficient. Acetic acid retards the copolymerization. Under the most favorable radiation conditions, inclusion of sulfuric acid (up to 1.1 M) produces a twentyfold increase in graft. The presence of mineral acid also 1) enhances the intensity of a Trommsdorff peak if already present in the grafting solution and 2) induces a peak if none were previously present without acid. A mechanism for the enhanced acid effects in these grafting reactions is proposed involving charge-transfer intermediates.     

Polymers from renewable resources. II. A study in the radio chemical grafting of poly(styrene‐alt‐maleic anhydride) onto cellulose extracted from pine needles

A binary mixture of styrene and maleic anhydride has been graft copolymerized onto cellulose extracted from Pinus roxburghii needles. The reaction was initiated with gamma rays in air by the simultaneous irradiation method. Graft copolymerization was studied under optimum conditions of total dose of radiation, amount of water, and molar concentration previously worked out for grafting styrene onto cellulose. Percentage of total conversion (Pg), grafting efficiency (%), percentage of grafting (Pg), and rates of polymerization (R_p), grafting (R_g), and homopolymerization (R_h) have been determined as a function of maleic anhydride concentration. The high degree of kinetic regularity and the linear dependence of the rate of polymerization on maleic anhydride concentration, along with the low and nearly constant rate of homopolymerization suggest that the monomers first form a complexomer which then polymerizes to form grafted chains with an alternating sequence. Grafting parameters and reaction rates achieve maximum values when the molar ratio of styrene to maleic anhydride is 1 : 1. Further evidence for the alternating monomer sequence is obtained from quantitatively evaluating the composition of the grafted chains from the FT‐IR spectra, in which the ratio of anhydride absorbance to aromatic (CC) absorbance for the stretching bands assigned to the grafted monomers remained constant and independent of the feed ratio of maleic anhydride to styrene. Thermal behaviour of the graft copolymers revealed that all graft copolymers exhibit single stage decomposition with characteristic transitions at 161–165°C and 290–300°C. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1763–1769, 1999     

Grafting copolymerization of styrene and maleic anhydride binary monomer systems induced by UV irradiation

Photografting copolymerization of maleic anhydride (MAH) and styrene (St) onto LDPE film was investigated by using a one-step method, and further thermally induced grafting copolymerization of them was carried out by using a two-step method. Regarding the photografting copolymerization of MAH/St binary monomer system, both conversion percentage (CP) and grafting efficiency (GE) increased with raising the content of MAH in the monomer feed. In addition, the content of MAH in the grafted copolymers also increased with increasing the fraction of MAH in the monomer feed. The formation of LDPE-g-P(MAH-co-St) grafted film was identified by FTIR and ESCA spectroscopy. In the case of grafting copolymerization of MAH/St by the two-step method, grafting copolymerization proceeded slowly compared with the non-grafting copolymerization. The apparent activation energy (E_a) for the non-grafting copolymerization in the solution and the grafting copolymerization on LDPE film was 24 and 82 kJ/mol, respectively, which were noticeably lower than those of MAH/vinyl acetate (MAH/VAC) binary monomer system under the similar grafting conditions. These data of E_a explained why the grafting copolymerization of styrene/MAH took place faster than that of MAH/VAC binary monomer system. The composition of the grafted copolymer chains was largely affected by the composition of the monomer feeds; however, the composition of the non-grafted copolymers nearly remained at 1/1 even in systems with largely different MAH/styrene ratios in monomer feeds. It is indicated that the non-grafting copolymerization proceeded predominantly following alternating copolymerization, but the grafting copolymerization performed random copolymerization.     

Radiation-induced graft copolymerization of mixtures of styrene and acrylamide onto cellulose acetate. II. Studies on bromine labeling

Formation of the active sites on irradiated trunk polymer, for example, cellulose acetate, was determined by taking recourse to bromine labeling and the G values of active sites were accordingly evaluated. The G value was as well determined through analysis of peroxide. It has been concluded that the G value measured by bromine labeling corresponds to accessible radicals, while that evaluated through measurement of peroxide accounts for the total. The number-average molecular weights of the graft chains were calculated and these were found to be dependent on monomer composition.     

Kinetics of diffusion-free radiation graft polymerization of styrene onto polyethylene

The diffusion-free radiation graft polymerization of styrene onto polyethylene has been studied. The grafting rate shows a dependence on monomer which is far different than what has been assumed. Further, the dependence on monomer changes with increasing dose rate as does the dependence of grafting rate on radiation dose rate. Three different regions of behavior are defined: (1) a region of low dose rate where the grafting rate is 1/2-order in dose rate and 3/2-order in monomer; (2) a region of intermediate dose rate where the grafting rate is intermediate between 1/2-and zero-order in dose rate and 5/2-order in monomer; and (3) a region of high dose rate, where the grafting rate is independent of dose rate and at least 5/2-order in monomer. Various possible mechanisms responsible for these effects are discussed, including the effects of viscosity on the initiation and termination reactions, the possibility of ionic graft polymerization, and energy transfer.     

Spectroscopic study of the penetration depth of grafted polystyrene onto poly(tetrafluoroethylene‐co‐perfluoropropylvinylether) substrates. 1. Effect of grafting conditions

This study concerns the radiation grafting of styrene onto poly(tetrafluoroethylene‐co‐perfluoropropylvinylether) (PFA) substrates and the penetration depth of the graft. Grafting was obtained by the simultaneous irradiation method, and the spectroscopic analysis was made with the micro‐Raman technique. Effects of grafting conditions such as the type of solvent, dose rate, and irradiation dose on the grafting yield were investigated. Of the different solvents used, the most efficient in terms of increasing grafting yield were dichloromethane, benzene, and methanol, respectively. A mixture of methanol and dichloromethane used as a solvent for styrene achieved a higher degree of grafting and concentration of grafted polystyrene onto the surface of PFA substrates than solutions of the monomer in the separate solvents. The degree of grafting increased with increasing radiation dose up to 500 kGy, stabilizing above this dose. However, the grafting yield decreased with an increase in the dose rate. The increase in the overall grafting yield was accompanied by a proportional increase in the penetration depth of the grafts into the substrate. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3191–3199, 2002     

A Rare Example of the Formation of Polystyrene‐Grafted Aliphatic Polyester in One‐Pot by Radical Polymerization

The radical copolymerization of cyclic ester β‐propiolactone (β‐PL) with styrene (St) at 120 °C, with a complete range of monomer ratios, is a rare example of a system providing graft copolymers (PSt‐g‐β‐PL) in one pot. The structure of the resulting β‐PL–St copolymers was proven by using a combination of different characterization techniques, such as 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC), before and after alkaline hydrolysis of the polymers. The number of grafting points increased with an increasing amount of β‐PL in the feed. A significant difference in the reactivity of St and β‐PL and radical chain‐transfer reactions at the polystyrene (PSt) backbone, followed by combination with the active growing poly(β‐PL) chains, led to the formation of graft copolymers by a grafting‐onto mechanism.     

Chemical structure of poly(ethylene terephthalate)–styrene and nylon–styrene graft copolymers prepared by radiation techniques

The graft copolymerizations of styrene onto poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and nylon fibers were carried out by the mutual irradiation and preirradiation methods. True graft copolymers were isolated from the products by extraction and characterized by hydrolysis and osmometry. Among the swelling agents employed, methanol was most effective for increasing the extent of grafting onto PET. In both methods of the grafting, the molecular weight of polystyrene formed in the substrate matrix was higher than one million if no chain-transfer agent was added to the monomer solution. Similar to the case of radiation grafting onto poly(vinyl alcohol) and cellulose, the isolated graft copolymer carried only one branch per copolymer molecule in both cases. Of great interest is the particularly low extent of grafting in the case of PET–styrene. This should be attributed to the low sensitivity of PET to radiation. The grafting site on the mother polymer molecule is discussed on the basis of the solution behavior of the branch polymers separated from the backbone.     

Mechanism of graft copolymerization of styrene onto deproteinized natural rubber

High conversion and high grafting efficiency attained by graft copolymerization of styrene onto deproteinized natural rubber (DPNR) was investigated with respect to the molecular weight of grafted polystyrene. The graft copolymerization was performed with tert-butyl hydroperoxide/tetraethylenepentamine as an initiator after deproteinization of natural rubber with urea. Grafted polystyrene was isolated from the resulting graft copolymer by ozonolysis reaction. After the ozonolysis of the graft copolymer of DPNR and polystyrene (DPNR-g-PS), the molecular weight of grafted polystyrene was determined by size exclusion chromatography. Effects of initiator and monomer concentrations were investigated with respect to the molecular weight of the grafted polystyrene, which was found to depend on not only the number of active site generated on the rubber particle but also the feed of styrene. Deactivation and chain transfer of the active sites were attributed to effective amount of styrene used for the graft copolymerization.     

Controlled grafting of MMA onto cellulose and cellulose acetate

Homogeneous graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate onto cellulose and cellulose acetate was carried out in various solvents and solvent systems taking ceric ammonium nitrate, tin (II) 2-ethyl hexanoate [Sn(Oct)₂] and benzoyl peroxide as initiators. The effect of solvents, initiators, initiator and monomer concentration, on graft yield, grafting efficiency and total conversion of monomer to polymer were studied. Formation of Ce³⁺ ion during grafting in presence of CAN enhances the grafting efficiency. Methylene blue was used as a homopolymer inhibitor and controlled the molecular weight of the grafted polymer and its effect on grafting was also studied. In presence of MB, amount of PMMA homopolymer formation reduced and consequently grafting efficiency increased. The number average molecular weights and polydispersity indices of the grafted PMMA were found out by gel permeation chromatography. The products were characterized by FTIR and ¹H-NMR analyses and possible reaction mechanisms were deduced. Finally, thermal degradation of the grafted products was also studied by thermo-gravimetric and differential thermo-gravimetric analyses.     

Radiation-induced graft copolymerization of mixtures of styrene and acrylamide onto cellulose acetate. I. Effect of solvents

The grafting of styrene and acrylamide, from both their binary and unitary systems, on cellulose acetate film was studied by means of the cobalt-60 postirradiation grafting technique. The extent of grafting was found to be dependent on preirradiation dose, reaction time, and temperature, and the optimum conditions were evaluated. The effect of solvents, e.g., water, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, and t-butanol were studied. The composition of the binary mixture as well as the nature of the alcohol used as the solvent were found to have a strong influence in modifying the course of grafting. Each component of the binary monomer mixture was found to sensitize the grafting of the other, when the former is present in relatively large concentration. The observed results are discussed in detail in terms of relative molecular reactivity and reactivity ratios.     

Some aspects of graft polymerization of vinyl monomers onto cellulose by use of tetravalent cerium. IV

Intense agitation markedly decreased the homopolymer formation in homopolymerization reactions. Graft polymerization is similarly influenced, the main effect being on the propagation process. The results achieved in this work indicate that in grafting reactions, growing polymer radicals are produced mainly through the transfer of radicals formed at the cellulose backbone to the monomer where propagation takes place. The growing polymer radicals either recombine with active sites on the cellulose leading to grafting or react with each other through coupling and/or are oxidized with ceric ions to give homopolymer.     

Solvent Effects on the Rate of Radiation-Induced Grafting of Vinyl Monomers on Polymeric Films

Earlier work indicated that in the radiation-induced grafting of vinyl monomers on polymeric films, the plasticity of the film being grafted is determined by the Hildebrand solubility parameter of the grafting solution. Film plasticity affects the termination step of the grafting reaction, and thus strongly influences the overall rate of monomer grafting on the polymeric film.

In the grafting of styrene on nylon film, a sequence of irradiation runs was made at selected volume ratios of styrene/benzene/methanol, all grafting solutions having a constant solubility parameter value of 9.5 Under these conditions, a linear plot of grafting rate vs volume percent styrene in the grafting solution was obtained. A similar sequence of runs grafting pentafluorostyrene on nylon film at constant solubility parameter also produced a linear plot of grafting rate vs volume percent PFS.

Styrene was grafted on polyethylene film in a sequence of four runs using styrene dissolved in methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, and 1-butanol, each solution having the same solubility parameter of 10.4. A straight-line plot of grafting rate vs volume percent styrene was obtained under these conditions.